Anthesteria, the Festival of Flowers

originally published

March 1, 2011

Greetings! This month’s article is inspired by a Greek feast day called the Anthesteria, the festival of flowers. It fell on March 4th and was dedicated to Flora and Hecate. FLORA Flora is the eternally youthful Roman goddess of flowers, flowering plants, flower magic, grain, human sexuality, fertility of vegetation and is associated with the element of Earth. Flora was the consort of Zephyrus, the god of the South Winds who announced the arrival of Spring. She was mostly worshipped by young girls who gave her offerings of fruits and flowers. Flora was one of the many ancient goddesses that were depicted carrying a flower garland which links her to the month of May. While flowers were under Flora’s domain, she was also the goddess of the fertility of both the vegetable and animals kingdoms. Flora was associated with the Cornflower, mulberry and avocado as well as many trees including the Apple, Olive, Fig, Peach, Pine, Plum, Hawthorn and Cherry. Beside March 4th, there were a few other days on the calendar set aside for Flora. Her festivals had strong sexual overtones, but they were also associated with the dead, which explains the link to the Underworld goddess Hecate. These festivals were to not only honor the goddess Flora, but to also ensure a bountiful harvest. The Floralia, sacred to Flora, Maia (the month of May is named after her) and Venus was a Roman festival that ran from April 28th to May 3rd. Offerings of flowers and flowered wreaths were made to Flora the Goddess of Flowers and Maia the Earth Goddess during this festival. The wreaths were mounted on a flower garland adorned pole, the precursor to the Maypole of Bealtaine. This pole, along with flower-bedecked statues of Flora and Maia, was then carried through the street in a procession in honor of Maia. Singers and dancers joined in the revelry. Seeds and beans were thrown into the sideline crowds to bestow Flora’s fertility and fecundity. As Flora was also a goddess of youthful pleasures and the patroness of prostitutes (flowers are the sex organs of plants after all), medallions depicting various sexual positions were passed out as well. The naked female body was honored until the authorities became prudish in the third century CE and demanded that the celebrants wear clothing. Flora was the unofficial patroness of the city because without her help with fertility, the city-state would not have flourished. In her Flora aspect, the Roman goddess Cardea was known as the Queen of May. Towards the end of May, the Roman Rosalia, again sacred to both Flora and Venus, fell on May 23rd. As the practices of the Romans were imported to northern Europe during the Roman occupation, it seems that the statues of the goddess Flora transformed into the May Doll. On May 1st, a doll that represented the goddess as the May Lady or the Queen of May, was carried procession-style by young girls in groups of two or three. They sang traditional May songs while carrying a flowered garland and brought the May Doll from one house to the next. The doll’s face was hidden and there was a price to pay for the honor to see it. If the people of the household gave a gift, they would see the May Doll’s face and the Goddess’s blessings were bestowed upon them. Flora is still honored today in modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions, especially during the Sabbats of Ostara (the Vernal Equinox) and Bealtaine (May 1st). Flowers are woven into such things as wreaths garlands and headdresses, which are worn by ritual participants. Modern worshippers thank Flora for the coming of the warmer seasons of Spring and Summer. Some semblances of the ancient Roman May festivals have survived to modern-day Italy. Today, there are centered on the Goddess’ latest incarnation as the Virgin Mary as well as other saints. The signing of the past has survived as well; Italian boys can be seen serenading their sweethearts on May 1st. THE SPELL This is an excellent time of the year to get your vegetable garden started. Gather up your seeds, potting soil and planting pots. If you wish, you could also burn some floral incense or burn a pastel-colored candle. As you plant your seeds, visualize how they will grow before and after you transplant them into your garden or flowerbox. Call upon Flora for her blessings in your own words, or use this: “Goddess of eternal youth, As I place these seeds in this earth; Please bestow fecundity, And a fruitful harvest to me. Bless these seeds so they take root, So I have vegetables and fruit, To get me through the wintertime, Flora I thank you with this rhyme. For the god of all and with harm to none, So say I, so shall it be done!” HECATE Hecate (pronounced HEK-uh-tay) was worshipped from at least 800 BCE until 400 CE. She was called many things, including the Most Lovely One, the Great Sorceress of Nature, the Goddess of Transformations, the Wise Old Woman, the Distant One, the Queen of the Ghost World, the Queen of the World of Spirits and the Silver Footed Queen of the Night. Although Hecate is best known for being a Greek goddess, she is more ancient than that. No one can say for sure where her true origins lie but we do know that she was pre-Olympian and from a time called the Age of the Titans. Some believe she has a link to the Nubians through the Egyptian goddess Heket while others feel that she traveled south form Trace. Because Hecate has been associated with animals, symbols and concepts from the Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures, she is said to be a prehistoric goddess. She survived the Bronze Age and made her way to Classical Greece. In the western Turkey region of Caria, Hecate was the primary goddess. Mysteries and games were played at Hecate’ sanctuary at the ancient cult site of Lagina in southwestern Turkey. West of Lagina was the region of Zernthos and there Hecate was given the name Zerynthia and she had a cave sacred to her named Zerynthos in Samothrace, a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Hecate or Hekate, was sometimes known as Kekabe and was related to Kubaba/Kybebe (Cybele). The Thessalonians called her Enodia. Because she seems to be from a far-away place, it is fitting that Hecate’s name means “she who succeeds form afar”. Because it is hard to discern her origins, her parentage is also up for debate. Because she is said to have been a Titan and not a Greek goddess, some say that she was born to the Titans Tartaros and Night. Others credit Zeus and Hera or Perses and Asteria. In ancient art, Hecate’s appearance varies. She wore a shimmering headdress. Sometimes she is shown with three heads, other times she is depicted as three women (similar to the Celtic Brigit). An ivory plaque from eight century BCE Sparta shows Hecate with wings. Some even say that she wears a necklace of strung testicles. As she is a Moon Goddess, she carries at least one torch. Due to her connection with Artemis/Diana, she is also seen with a bow and a quiver of arrows. She even sometimes holds a whip. Goddess of the Crossroads The concept of the crossroads in very ancient one and holds great significance. The lore of the crossroads traveled through time form southern Europe to northern Europe; many fateful events transpired at crossroads in stories. Today, crossroads are a place where two roads cross, making the shape of a “+” or an “X”. The original crossroads were a place where three roads meet to form the shape of a “Y”. The “Y” shape is significant; it symbolizes the past, present and future as well as being linked to the magickal serpent. Snakes have long been revered as mystical creatures due in part to their ability to shed their skin and move on. The snake has a forked tongue which it uses to “taste” the air to ascertain what is happening in the area around it. It then makes a decision as to where to go next. The number three being magically powerful goes back to antiquity because it was believed to be an amplification of root power. In other words, if one thing was powerful and you were to triple the number of that thing, then it would stand to reason that it was now three times as powerful. Because of this power, the crossroads were a place to perform magic or divination, make fateful decisions, communicate with conjured spirits, perform rites of purification or banishment, and to have mystical encounters. There were many goddesses that became associated with the powerful crossroads, but the three most known were Diana, Prosperina and Hecate. The ancient writer Varro equated Hecate with the Diana, calling Hecate Trivia which means “Of the Three Roads” or “She of the Crossroads”. Both Diana and Hecate were torch-bearing goddesses of witchcraft whose worshipers gathered only at night at the crossroads. Images of both goddesses were placed there. Sometimes Hecate was pictured in art as having three faces; one that could see in each of the three directions of the crossroads. These faces weren’t always human in nature; some artists depicted her as having the face of a snake, a horse and a dog. The ancient writer Ovid said that Hecate’s face “turned in three directions that she may guard the crossroads where they branch three separate ways”. A wooden pole, called the Hekataion, was placed at these crossroads. It began as a tree stump because Hecate was the goddess of the Three Worlds and the World Tree of Life, but it later evolved into a pole that had three masks hung on it. Each mask faced one of the directions of the roads. The Hekataion represented Hecate as the guardian of the entrance of the Underworld and it also represented the sacred tree that stood in the center of the sacred grove of the Goddess. Hecate’s worshippers often traveled to her crossroads to leave her offerings, request her protection during travel and to ask for her help with the issues of their daily lives. Other times they left offerings to aspects of Hecate. For instance, women brought pig offerings to Kourotrophos at the crossroads. Kourotrophos was the child-nurse aspect of Artemis-Hecate (who has also been equated with the Celtic goddess Aeracura/Aericura. It was believed that the crossroads were haunted by people who had died unjustly and were un-avenged. These spirits were conjured by sorcerers to attack their enemies because of their vengeful nature. Hecate was said to stroll around the crossroads with her black dogs. Because Hecate was the Goddess of the Crossroads, and the crossroads had the association with Black Magic, Hecate came to be known as the goddess of the Dark Arts. Those who invoked Hecate at the crossroads were believed to be experts in the manufacture deadly poisons. It was thought that Hecate would either bless or curse those that passed y the crossroads, depending ion what kind or person that they were and what Hecate thought that they deserved. Hecate is also connected to the guardian spirits known as the Lare (pronounced lah-ray). This is yet another connection between Hecate and Diana, the Queen of the Faeries. The Roman Lare spirits evolved form the Etruscan Lasa spirits, the faeries of the fields and grain who evolved form the Cult of the Dead. Due to this connection, the Lare were worshipped at Hecate’s crossroads. The Three Faces of Hecate The concept of the Triple Goddess, or the Maiden-Mother-Crone, is found in many different cultures. As noted earlier, the crossroads were significant due to the number three. The number three represented the beginning, middle and end, according to Pythagoras. The Triple goddess is usually seen as three women in different stages of their life; youth, the age of maturity and old age. The Triple Goddess is sometimes depicted as the Three Fates, called the Moirae or the Norns. Many goddesses had a Wheel of Life in which they spun the lives of humans. The Triple Goddess did this as well, only in a different manner; the Maiden pulls the thread, the Mother spins the thread and the Crone cuts the thread at the end of the person’s life. Although Hecate is a Triple Goddess, one who sees in three directions at once, she is most often seen as the wise Crone. She has gained much knowledge and wields great magick. The Crone is the dark aspect of the Moon and is the closest of the three goddesses to the death-rebirth phase of life. The Three Worlds of Hecate As the Goddess of the World Tree, Hecate reigns over the three cosmic realms. To the southern Europeans, these worlds were known as Ouranos the Overworld, Gaia the Middleworld and Pontos the Underworld. In the northern part of Europe, the Celts called these three worlds Gwynvyd the Upperworld, Abred the Middleworld (Earth) and Annwn the Underworld. Hecate was given domain over a portion of the sky (Upperworld), sea (Underworld) and earth (Middleworld) by Zeus. As mentioned above, Hecate is most known for being the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, which makes her the Queen of the Underworld. In both the southern and northern European mythologies, the Underworld was considered to be a world of water. As a pond or a lake is a microcosmic version of the vast ocean, it is considered a bridge to the Underworld as the water flows to and from it. Other access points to the Underworld would be caves, portals, tunnels or doorways. The philosopher Porphyry explained Hecate as being Triformis or three formed, “The Moon is Hecate…her power appears in three forms: Selene is in Heaven, Artemis is on Earth and Hekate is in the Underworld”. The poet Hesiod said that Hecate reigned over the Three Great Mysteries; Birth, Life and Death. The ancients gave offerings to Hecate in all three of her realms. As an act of libation, wine is poured onto the soil in honor of the spirits of the Earth and the chthonic deities of the Underworld. Our ancestors would then toss pieces of cake into the night sky in honor of the deities of the Moon. Hecate’s Broom The iconic Witches Broom is linked to the hearth, the World Tree, the Three Realms and to Hecate. The World Tree reaches its branches up to the Upperworld, it sinks its roots down into the Underworld and its trunk is in our world. Traditionally, the handle of the Witches’ Broom was made from the branch of an Ash tree which is associated with the Underworld realm of Water and was said to give the Witch power over the Elements. The sweep was made from birch twigs which is associated with having power over and protection from spirits which were believed to reside in the Upperworld realm of Air. The handle and the sweep were bound together with strips of Willow bark. The Willow tree, which declared the Witches’ allegiance to Hecate, has long been associated with the Middleworld realm of Earth because its branches arc towards the ground. The broom, like the Hekataion, was symbolic of the cosmic World Tree and the deity that resided inside the central tree of the sacred grove. The broom is a metaphoric key to the three realms of Hecate; a shamanic tool to journey through the various worlds. The broom was considered a symbol to the spirits that Hecate had bestowed power to that person as a Witch. Animals of Hecate The totemic animals associated with Hecate go back to her prehistoric origins. These animals stayed with this Goddess of the Witches and with the Witches themselves over the centuries; from before the Inquisition up to our time.

• Bats: Hecate is linked to bats because she is the Goddess of the Underworld.

• Bear or Boar: there is a tale where Hecate shape-shifts herself into either a bear or a boar, kills her son and then brings him back from the dead.

• Deer/Stags: at times, Hecate was linked with the Huntress Artemis (and later with Diana). In some artwork, Hecate is depicted as having three bodies, but flanked by a stag and a dog.

• Dogs/Hounds: dogs are domesticated wolves and are said to be under the dominion of Hecate. She had the power to shape-shift into a dog. Hecate was supposed to have been in the company of a pack of red-eyed hounds and they traveled over graveyards. And, it is said that only dogs could see Hecate and when a dog howls, it is signaling her approach. As the Goddess of the Underworld, Hecate had a monstrous, three-headed mastiff guarding the entrance to the Underworld. Dogs were sacrificed to Hecate during mysteries and orgiastic dances in Colophon, a Greek city in our modern Turkey.

• Dragons: Hecate had a chariot that was pulled by dragons.

• Frogs/Toads: the toad, a symbol of conception, was sacred to Hecate and she was sometimes called Baubo, which means “toad”.

• Hares/Rabbits: like her German equivalent Harek, Hecate was associated with the Hare.

• Hens: the feathers of black hens held great value in spell-work.

• Owl: a symbol of wisdom, Hecate was often accompanied by an owl.

• Serpents/Snakes: Snakes held an important role in ancient Greece (and alter in Ancient Rome). It was quite common for household to have a sacred pet snake due to its connection to gods of healing and redemption. Hecate was linked to the snake because of its forked tongue which resembled her Crossroads. Snakes play a part in Hecate’s appearance. Sometimes she is said to have hair similar to that of Medusa, comprised of writhing snakes. Other times the snakes were intertwined around her neck, like a hissing necklace. Mostly, Hecate is shown either holding a snake or having them coiled around her arms. Hecate has another link to the snake, this being her link with the goddess Prosperina. Her name comes from the Latin “serpere” which means “to creep or crawl” or “to crawl forward”, like a snake.

The Herbs and Trees of Hecate Ancient Witches were said to have lived outside of the cities and in herb-rich areas. These priestesses of Hecate were called pharmakeutes which means “herbalist”. Hecate has many herbal correspondences, including aconite/monkshood/wolfsbane, ash, azalea, belladonna/mandrake, birch, cyclamen, dandelion, date palm, elder, garlic, hemlock, lavender, mint, nettle, oak, osiers, almond, myrrh, rue, walnut, willow and yew.

• Aconite: also known as Monkshood or Wolfsbane, Aconite is sacred to Hecate.

• Elder: as it is sacred to Hecate, do not burn Elder wood. However, you can add the flowers to spell-work during a New Moon ritual dedicated to Hecate.

• Garlic: Garlic was eaten during the feast on her sacred days. Garlic was placed at the ancient crossroads as an offering and garlic flowers are a perfect offering to place on your altar today..

• Mandrake: there are actually three different types of Mandrake, the American May Apple, the European Mandrake and Hecate’s Mandrake which is better known as Belladonna, Atropa or garden Nightshade.

• Rue: Rue has great significance in Italian Witchcraft and it plays an integral role in the Witches’ charm, the Cimaruta which translates as “sprig of Rue”. This Rue sprig has three branches which represent the Triple Goddess as Hecate-Diana. At the end of each of these branches are various occult symbols including symbols linked with Hecate such as the key, snake and knife.

• Walnut: the Walnut tree is one of the sacred trees in Italian Witchcraft, is connected to the Faeries and is sacred to Hecate as well. One of the names for Hecate is “Walnut Face”.

• Willow: as previously mentioned Willow is deeply connected to Hecate and is a powerful Underworld symbol. Of the days of the week, both Elder and Willow are connected to Monday and Hecate. In the Celtic Tree Calendar, the month of Willow, or Saille, runs form April 15th to May 12th. Hecate as the Triple Goddess is linked to Saille through her importance with initiation; death of one life and rebirth into another.

Offerings to Hecate Offerings made to Hecate were quite varied. They were usually made at midnight at the crossroads on the last night of the month. Some offerings were food-based including honey, onions, pomegranates, fish, eggs and bitter or soured wine. Sometimes they were clay replicas of the seated goddess. Other times they were living sacrifices, black dogs, black hens, black ewe lambs and baby girls. While most offerings made to Hecate were made at the Crossroads, but some were placed at the front porch. To appease the Underworld Goddess, people placed chicken hearts and honey cakes there. Hecate was known as the mediator between this world and the world of the gods and she was called the Keeper of the Gateway. As such, she was the one a person had to go through before they made offerings to any other gods. Hecate: Goddess of the Moon The Goddess of the Moon is both light and dark. She brings life giving rain or life taking storms. She was both revered and feared. Sometimes Hecate was known as Anthea the Queen of the Underworld, the sender of night visions and the one to call upon when Scrying with a magick mirror. As the Crone, the Greeks called Hecate the Hag of the Dead. It has been theorized that the word “hag” may have derived form the Egyptian word “heq” which meant a matriarchal ruler that knew magical words of power. As the Crone, Hecate’s time during the Moon phases is the waning Moon, which occurs after the Full Moon, which is assigned to Diana. The period of time of three and a half to seven days after the Full Moon is called the Disseminating Moon, which is also sometimes called Hecate’s Moon. The Waning Moon also leads up to what is sometimes called the Dark of the Moon. This period of time in the phases of the Moon is three days prior to the New Moon, when the Moon is no longer visible in the sky. During this time it is traditional to perform no magic but instead to rest, meditate or vision quest. However, if you have a pressing need that falls under the dominion of Hecate, this is her time to rule, and her powers can be called upon for magick and spell-work. Hecate is known as the Giver of Vision, but due to her lunar connections, sometimes these visions led to lunacy. Some say that her name meant “The Sender of Nocturnal Visions” and Italian Witches would request the Hecate would grant them occult knowledge while they dreamt during the time of the Full Moon. It is said that if a person dreamt of Hecate it signified travel to foreign lands or the coming of great change. It was believed that the Moon had power over the Three Worlds of humans; mind (Upperworld), body (Middleworld) and soul (Underworld). Therefore, the Moon goddess was able to be the Giver of Visions or to curse a person with lunacy (insanity). To the Amazons, Hecate was the Goddess of the Dark Moon and the Queen of the Underworld. The Amazons got their name from the Greeks and it is thought that it means “Moon Woman”. They were a Mother Goddess worshipping nomadic tribe that resided in North Africa, Anatolia and the Black Sea region. They once ruled much of Asia and they were well known for their strength and their prowess in war. They may have been the first to tame wild horses, one of Hecate’s sacred animals and one of her three faces. Independent and virginal in the original sense of the word, belonging to no man and only to themselves, they were very much like Artemis-Hecate. They were said to live on islands free of men and only associated with men when they wanted to bring children into the world. Hecate the Torchbearer Hecate is quite frequently depicted as holding two torches. She, like the Roman Diana, is considered be in a class of torch-bearing goddesses. This is due to their associated with the realms of the night, the Moon of the night sky and the light of the Moon. For instance, Diana was pictured with a Crescent Moon crown and a torch in her hand. Both Diana and Hecate held torches in their hands to show the Moon power that they wielded in their hands. The worshippers of Diana and Hecate, in order to capture a little bit of the power of the Moon’s light, began to use candles, fires and torches in their Moon rituals. For instance, after a field was fleshly planted, the Full Moon ceremony took place where the participants placed lit torches in a circle around the field to encourage the seed’s germination and growth. Hecate holds two torches for a specific reason; one is to shed light on where we currently are in our life path and the other is to shed light on where we can possibly go. This concept takes us back to the fabled crossroads. As you may recall, the crossroads were a place where three roads came together to form the shape of a “Y”. The Crossroads are a place between the worlds because there is not coming or going, there is only stasis while making the decision as to with path to take. The center of the crossroads could be considered a realm unto itself, because a person standing at the crossroads is neither on nor off the road, but instead where three roads meet. This is a very powerful magickal portal. Hecate leads us to the Crossroads, but she does not tell us which road to take, this is our decision to make. One way to perceive these three roads are with the concept of present, future and the alternative future, or “the road less traveled”. The “present” road is actually a culmination of both the past and the present, as our past has brought us to where we are today. Once a person has found themselves at the “fork in the road” of their life, they have a choice to make. They can travel the “future” road, the one that has been set into motion by the established patterns. This is the “probable” road. The other choice is the “alternative” road or the “road less traveled”. This is the “possible” road. Traveling on this road would require a person to change their current patterns and to rely on their personal will and inner vision. In other words, a person can make a decision to travel the “well worn path”, the established path that society has told the person they should travel. The other option is to forge a path of your own, to go against the grain and to find your own way. Each person needs to make these decisions for themselves. Hecate: the Keeper of the Key One of the other items that Hecate holds is the key. She was known as the Keeper of the Key and was said to be able to open and close the gates to the Underworld. Hecate is also associated with the goddess Jana (Diana) and Cardea, as she is the Keeper of the Door; the goddess of doorways, entrances and portals. The Greek historian Plutarch said that just as the bodies of the dead went to the Earth, the souls of the dead went to the Moon and the Moon was the “Gulf of Hecate”. Some say that the key that Hecate holds is the Key to the Universe while others claim that it will unlock the mystery of your Shadow Self. To face one’s Shadow Self means to face one’s fears. Many of the fierce Underworld deities are also caring healers. With her torch, Hecate brings light into the darkness; she brings awareness into the unknown. Shamans and Witches have long been known for their ability to heal. They travel through the Worlds into the darkness to find what is causing the disease. But to be able to do this, they first must face their won darkness and become friends with their own Shadow Self. Hecate: the Keeper of the Cauldron As the Triple Goddess, Hecate holds dominion over the three great mysteries of birth, life and death, or the birth-death-rebirth cycle. She was the bestowed of fertility and prosperity, she was the taker of life. Hecate tended the Cauldron of Death and Rebirth which she kept in her Underworld portal cave, and images of her cauldron were placed at her sacred crossroads. Hecate was considered a midwife to all living creatures and was known as the “mother of gods and men, and Nature, Mother of all things…” She was the Guardian of the Childbed and to ensure new life, women would make sacrifices to Hecate-Artemis in the form of the goddess Enodia in hopes for safe childbirth. On the Greek island of Samothrace, Hecate was known as the Great Mother. She granted fertility and prosperity to farmers, herders and fishermen who called upon her for wealth, blessings and favor. Later the Catholic Church labeled midwives as followers of Hecate and dangerous. Initiation Hecate has many roles as the Guardian of the Underworld Gate. She played a pivotal role during initiation. The Hekataion, which was the physical representation of the Moon Tree Portal, was also known as Pillar of Hecate. This pillar was used during initiation rites in the Mystery Tradition of Witchcraft. The initiate would take their oath by kneeling before the Underworld Gate in the presence of Hecate and place one hand on the pillar and the other upon the ground. Hecate and Persephone Hecate appears in the tale of the kidnapping of Persephone and in this story she is described as tendered hearted. She hears Persephone cry out when she is abducted by Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, but she does not know where Persephone has been taken. Demeter, Persephone’s mother, searches for her daughter and goes on a ten day fast when she cannot be found. In some versions of the story, Hecate goes directly to Demeter while others say that Demeter consults with Hecate. Either way, Demeter and Hecate decide to consult with Helios the Sun God as he is all-seeing while he rides in his sky chariot. Once it had been discovered what had befallen Persephone, a compromise was reached where Persephone would spend one half of each year in the land of the living and the other half of the year as the Queen of the Underworld. The Greek poet Homer told that from then on, Hecate looked after Persephone. Hecate was both Persephone’s guide and protector; she accompanied Persephone on her journey to and from the Underworld. During the journey, Hecate and Persephone are accompanied by specially chosen souls of the dead. The Greeks were so happy when Spring returned that they held a grand celebration. A torchlight procession was followed by people searching on land and at sea for Persephone. The festivities ended with a great feast. Hecate’s Sacred Feast Days On the feast day of Hecate, a traditional meal would include blackened bread and goat cheese soaked in olive oil since that was the oil used to anoint corpses and graves. At night her festivals were lit by torchlight. August 13: This is a feast day that Hecate shares with Diana. Both goddesses were honored with torches. Roman women who felt that Diana and Hecate had answered their prayers from the previous year made their way to their temples to thank them. To the early Greeks, this day was set aside for Hecate as the Dark Mother. November 16: the Night of Hecate in Greece: this festival begins at sundown and is centered on Hecate in her Crone aspect. November 30: Hecate’s Day in Greece December 31: Hecate’s Day in Rome Medea, Circe and Cassandra Medea, niece of Circe (who is sometimes said to be the daughter of Hecate), was known as the priestess of Hecate. Depending on who is telling the tale, Medea was the daughter of Aeetes, the king of Colchis or Hecate herself. Medea was known for her prowess on the magical arts and it was said that these skills were given to her form the Sun God and her frequent trips to Hecate’s shrine. Cassandra was another woman in Greek mythology. Like Medea, she was either the daughter of Hecate, or Priam. She was a seer who foresaw the fall of the city of Troy; but sadly, this prophecy was ignored. THE SPELL For this spell, you will need a Witch’s Broom because you will be doing some metaphysical Spring Cleaning. But before you do that kind of Spring Cleaning, you first must do the “regular” kind. I know, I know, I can hear you groaning, but there is a reason for it! If you do Space Clearing while the space is untidy, your results will be poor or they could make things worse. So, the first step in this spell is to tidy up, even if it’s just one room. You can do this anytime, but the Disseminating Moon phase would be ideal so you do not multiply your dust and disorganization. So, this is when you wash the windows, dust, scrub the counters, vacuum or mop, file things away, donate items hat you don’t use anymore, label and store things that are out of season, alphabetize books/movies/music, etc. Once this is done, take a breather. Now is the time to pick up your Broom. If you would also like to spritz Holy Water to help cleanse the space, feel free to do so. But, if you only have the Broom, that will work just fine. You will be walking around the room in a Widdershins (counterclockwise) circle, staring at the entrance to the room and then ending there. You will be sweeping all negative energy and metaphysical nasties out of your space. Note that if you plan on doing your entire home, make a plan to work from one room and then the next until you push all the energy and critters out the door. If you are only doing one room at a time, you will be “chasing” the crud out the door. So, before you begin, make to sure to have a plan of action as to where you will start, what path you will take and where you will end. While you are sweeping the negative energy out, keep in mind that this is your space. No one or nothing is allowed in your space unless you say so. So, use a commanding voice and take charge of your space while you are sweeping. Just like your spiritual ancestors, you can “sweep” the air to cleanse the area. Make sure to get into corners or any dark areas; spiritual dust bunnies like to hide where the regular dust bunnies hide. Sweep gently or violently, depending no how much effort you feel that is require to “scrub” the area clean. While you are doing all of this, chant: “By the power of the Underworld Queen, And by the power of the Three Realms; I sweep this area squeaky clean, It is I who is al the helm.” Push the icky stuff out the door of the room. If you are doing one room at a time, then simply move on to the next room. If you are only working on this one room, then collect the energy into a “magickal dust pan” (you can hold it between your broom and your free hand) and take it out the front door. Release it to the Queen of the Underworld and say: “Hecate, Keeper of the Door, This negativity returns nevermore. Hecate with the triple face, In your name, I claim my space. For the good of all and with harm to none, So say I, so shall it be done!” It would be a good idea to show Hecate your thanks by placing an offering on your doorstep. This could be wine, cakes, honey, onions, fish, eggs or pomegranates. Sources:

• Animal Magick: The Art of Recognizing & Working with Familiars by DJ Conway

• Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan

• Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore & Celebration by Raven Grimassi

• Book of Hours by Galen Gillotte

• Book of Wicca: Bring Love, Healing, And Harmony into your Life with the power of Natural Magic by Lucy Summers

• Candlemas: Brigit’s Festival of Light & Life by Amber K & Azrael Arynn K

• Complete book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham

• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

• Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers and Other Religions in America Today by Margot Adler

• Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep by Scott Cunningham

• Earth Time Moon Time: Rediscovering the Sacred Lunar Year by Annette Hinshaw

• Encyclopedia of Gods by Michael Jordan

• Encyclopedia of Magic & Witchcraft: An Illustrated Historical Reference to Spiritual Worlds by Susan Greenwood

• Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi

• Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

• Entering the Summerland: Customs and Ritual of Transition into the Afterlife by Adain McCoy

• Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images by Marija Gimbutas

• Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans: The Young People’s Guide to World Mythology

• Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)

• Handbook of Celtic Astrology: The 13-Sign Lunar Zodiac of the Ancient Druids

• Hereditary Witchcraft: Secrets of the Old religion by Raven Grimassi

• HexCraft: Dutch Country Magick by Silver RavenWolf

• Lord of Light and Shadow: The Many Faces of the God by DJ Conway

• Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham

• Magical Household: Empower Your Home with Love, Protection, Health and Happiness by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington

• Magickal Mystical Creatures: Invite Their Power into Your Life by DJ Conway

• Moon Magick: Myth & Magic, Crafts & Recipes, Ritual Spells by DJ Conway

• New Book of Goddesses and Heroines by Patricia Monaghan

• Ostara: Customs, Spells & Rituals for the Rites of Spring by Edain McCoy

• Pagan Book of Days: A Guide to the Festivals, Traditions And Sacred Days of the Year by Nigel Pennick

• Pagans & Christians: The Personal Spiritual Experience by Gus diZerega, PhD

• Rune Mysteries: Companion to the Witches Runes by Silver RavenWolf and Nigel Jackson

• Silver’s Spells for Love by Silver RavenWolf

• Silver’s Spells for Protection by Silver RavenWolf

• Simple Wicca by Michele Morgan

• Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation by Silver RavenWolf

• Spirit of the Witch: Religion & Spirituality in Contemporary Witchcraft

• Storyteller’s Goddess: Tales of the Goddess and Her Wisdom form Around the World by Carolyn McVickar Edwards

• Tarot Shadow Work: Using the Dark Symbols to Heal by Christine Jette

• Temple of High Witchcraft: Ceremonies, Spheres and the Witches’ Qabalah by Christopher Penczak

• Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft: Shadows, Spirits and the Healing Journey by Christopher Penczak

• To Light a Sacred Flame: Practical Witchcraft for the Millennium by Silver RavenWolf

• To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft by Silver RavenWolf

• Virgin, Mother, Crone: Myths & Mysteries of the Triple Goddess by Donna Wilshire

• Wicca Craft: The Modern Witch’s Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams by Gerina Dunwich

• Wicca Handbook by Eileen Holland

• Wiccan Book of Ceremonies and Rituals by Patricia Telesco

• Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism by Raymond Buckland

• Witch’s Familiar: Spiritual Partnerships for Successful Magic by Raven Grimassi

• Witch’s Notebook: Lessons in Witchcraft by Silver RavenWolf

• Witch’s Shield: Protection Magick & Psychic Self-Defense by Christopher Penczak

• Witchcraft: A Mystery Tradition by Raven Grimassi

• Witchcraft from the Inside: Origins of the Fastest Growing Religious Movement in America by Raymond Buckland

• Witches’ Craft: The Roots of Witchcraft & Magical Transformation by Raven Grimassi