Author: Oracle Hekataios

Patron Deities

by Oracle Hekataios
Horned-God-Moon-Goddess-Herm-Altar-Statue
The Goddess and the Horned One

I often get asked about patron deities a lot. Who has chosen me? How do I start? How can I find out my God and Goddess? What do I do once I know? Allow me to delve into this topic a bit more.

Wicca
In the 1950s a religion cropped up which became known as Wicca, although it was simply known as Witchcraft at the time. It was spearheaded by a man by the name of Gerald Gardner. In his writings (and those of later authors), Wicca as a whole had two patron deities: the Horned God and the Goddess. The Horned God is the embodiment of the Sacred Masculine, an archetype consisting of an amalgamation of Pan, Cernunnos, Gwyn ap Nudd, Donn, among others. The Horned God is a God of the Underworld, the sacred hunt, Nature, Sex, and the Wild, the Sun, and sacrifice.

The Goddess is the other half of the Craft’s deities. She is the embodiment of the Sacred Feminine. She is the Lady who is the Triple Goddess of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. She is connected to the green earth, the stars, the Moon, fertility, and the sea.

Both the Horned God and the Goddess are viewed as a pair which invoke the power of polarity; that is, as opposites, the Sacred Masculine and the Sacred Feminine come together for the purposes of creation, Magic, death, rebirth, and fertility. Wicca is viewed as being duotheistic: only two deities who embody all of the Gods and Goddesses. Some Wiccans take the occultist Dion Fortune’s words literally:

All of the Gods are one God, and all of the Goddesses, and there is but one Initiator.

This imagery has lasted in Traditional Craft for a very long time. It works for some Wiccans. However, I am a polytheist; I believe in the existence of all individual Gods and Goddesses, each with their own story and personality. They exist outside of ourselves, and so therefore I am not a duotheist.

When Traditional Initiatory Wicca spread here in the States from England in the 1960s, many Wiccans began to create their own covens because the demand for initiations and the eagerness of wanting to join a coven outnumbered how many covens actually existed. Many began to find whatever they could and started to “self-initiate” to the Gods. They started their own covens and sacred Traditions. They copied what they could from existing writings written by Wiccan initiates, and started their spiritual path.

However, this Wicca was do-it-yourself, and as a result the oral lore which was passed down in Traditional Initiatory Wicca was missing. DIY Wiccans took hold of the Horned God and the Goddess and insisted (in a way) that their witches individually had a patron God and a patron Goddess.

Side note: Some today use the word “matron” for the Goddess, but this is incorrect. Use patron, which is equally valid for both deities.

The Rise of Polytheism
Many polytheists then and now feel uncomfortable in Wicca, with its seemingly duotheistic philosophies. They yearn to experience connections with more than one deity. This is where I am at.

Early on in my studies I read the books which informed me of the need to pick a God and Goddess. I tried to think of some, and I couldn’t. When I started learning Druidry, the idea of a patron God and Goddess were foreign; other paths I followed didn’t have this duotheistic concept, such as Sicilian-Continental Craft and StrixCraft.

When I became initiated into Alexandrian Wicca (a “denomination” of Wicca, for lack of a better term), I already had Hekate and Dionysos whom I followed. Hekate was my original Goddess, and it just so happened that she led me to Dionysos, with whom I devoted myself to. So the presentation of being encouraged to have a God and Goddess was not necessary for me. That being said, others were exhorted to do so as a fundamental part of their training. But how would they find out? Some just picked a couple at random who they felt made sense. Others just didn’t have them.

Polytheism in Wicca
I am involved in Hellenic Polytheism as well as Wicca. I have also had the privilege to meet other Wiccan polytheists who didn’t follow the dying-and-rising God mythos. The Sabbats – celebration holidays for Wiccans – are dedicated to multiple deities who represented the cycles of Nature during that time. This contrasts with your average Wiccan Sabbat (whether DIY or Trad Craft), where usually Sabbats are routinely dedicated to a specific God or Goddess, or else follow a story of the God and Goddess throughout the year.

For polytheism, rituals have a different meaning. Sabbats can be for any number of deities and daimons. This isn’t limited to Hellenic Polytheism in Wicca mind you. There are Celtic Polytheists, Norse Polytheists, and Germanic Polytheists in Traditional Initiatory Craft who are changing the face of Wicca from being duotheistic to polytheistic.  Duotheism may continue to exist on some level since the Horned God and the Goddess may be viewed as the default patron deities of the Craft itself. Individuals, however, may have their own which aren’t limited to two.

Patron Deities
So how do you find out your patron deities? The answer is that you don’t have to know that. Some witches and other spirit workers stick to working with their ancestors and their daimons, not worrying about deities except MAYBE to worship. I say maybe because I know some people who do not acknowledge deities period.

But if you are so inclined, I’d suggest perhaps looking at what you do and who can become a patron that matches your vocation. For example, artists may turn to Athena; doctors and health professionals to Asklepios or Apollo; metal workers to Hephaistos; sailors to Poseidon or Manannan Mac Lyr; and so forth. When in doubt, I also recommend seeking out a competent diviner who will be able to guide you.

However, do not be surprised if more than one deity or daimon calls you to their attention. While now DIY Wicca is more duotheistic in teaching than Traditional Initiatory Craft, one does not need to approach Wicca as merely a gateway to a God and Goddess. If you are drawn to two patrons, there isn’t anything wrong with that, so don’t feel like you need multiple ones as well. I just want you to know that you never need to limit yourself to be called by one or two deities or daimons. Keep in mind that this is an individual journey, and where you walk may ultimately find you journeying with more than two companions.

Devotions
Once you find out who your patrons are, I suggest beginning to worship them. One can do this by simply talking to them. Pray. If you have the space, build a small altar. You can use a flat surface or a cabinet. Light a candle; write your own poetry or hymns; light some incense; print out imagery if you can’t afford a statue; pray. As you research more, I’m sure your imagination will take over and you’ll be able to add stuff as you wish. These are devotional examples which will draw you closer to your deities.

Conclusion
Discovering your patrons is an individual journey. Some people have only one deity. Others have two or more. That’s fine. But don’t feel pressured that you need to have exactly two to reflect the Masculine and the Feminine. For many, this polarity is outdated as more intersex and transgender folks join our Craft and ways. They, too, are on a path and follow it wherever it may lead. Sacred Androgyny is also paramount. Some traditions of the Craft are reflecting these changes in their philosophies and thealogies as it continues to meet the needs of more people. Some continue the polarity schema, but again it isn’t the end all be all. Just be open to your intuition and research as your walk continues. May the blessings of the Gods be with you.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

My book is now available for pre-order!

 

The Azure Flame

by Oracle Hekataios

Blue Star Fire

The Azure Flame is an important component of StrixCraft as I teach it. In my forthcoming book, “StrixCraft: Modern Greek Magic for the Modern Witch,” I introduce the Azure Flame to the reader, and it is a vital link between the individual and their Magic. In a previous post I briefly mention the Azure Flame and the link to daimons. Here I will expound on it just a bit more.

Nyx
In StrixCraft, Nyx is First Mother. She is power incarnate. Nyx is the First Oracle. There is a poem we can use to honor Hir*; it was inspired while meditating on Hir one evening. She is dark and beautiful; sequined and crowned with a over a billion blue stars. She is the Source and Dweller of the Original Fire, the seed of the Cosmos. It all begins and ends with Hir.

That being said, the Flame she possesses (and is) is wild, erratic, dangerous, and overpowering. It is the composition of a million billion suns, and from Hir the Cosmic Flames, in its purest form, is the germination of darkness.

The Cosmic Hearth
Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth Fire, took the wild flames of Nature and domesticated the spirits with her presence and power. She is the overseer of the very fire she is also said to dwell in. Hestia’s name means “hearth,” which is the central flame in an oikos (household); it is a kind of fire pit lined by stone or brick where the central activity of the home is done. In many dwellings it is the mantle fireplace.

However, as below, so above:

According to the Pythagorean Mysteries, Hestia was the Goddess of the Central Fire. It is Fire that is the center of the Cosmos, not Earth. Here Hestia reigns, surrounded by 10 celestial bodies – the dark Earth, Earth, the Moon, the Sun, and the Five Classical Planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), along with the sphere of the fixed stars.

Prometheus
In the mythos I teach, humanity was without the power of Fire for a very long time. Fire was a phenomenon belonging to the Gods only. Nyx foresaw the tool of Fire and how beings would use it, both for creation and destruction.

Passing this oracle to the Titans and then the Gods, Zeus felt it was too early to entrust humanity with this power. We were too selfish, greedy, paranoid, and violent. Zeus felt that the Fire would be granted to us when we were ready, if ever.

Prometheus, however, the Titan of Forethought (for that is his name), was convinced otherwise. He, too, saw humanity’s potential with Fire. But rather than keep it hidden, Prometheus – a trickster who sought to outwit Zeus in this game – decided to steal the Fire, feeling that humanity also deserved this power.

Prometheus sought out the Graiai, the first Strix, to discover how he might steal the sacred flame. So it was that under cloak Prometheus journeyed to the Fields of Fennel, took a fennel’s stalk, and then journeyed to the Cosmic Heavens. Here he took blue flame from Hestia’s hearth, and brought it down to Earth. A woman Strix took the flames; she harnessed the star flames, and she was taught by Prometheus how to harness the cooler fires in the Mysteries.

The Azure Flame was born.

The Good Serpent
In StrixCraft, the Azure Flame can manifest as a serpent. As a result, serpents are sacred in our tradition. This was the first presence of the Agathos Daimon (“Good Spirit”), the dominant life force of humanity and their link to the Starry Body. The Azure Flame is alive in its own right, but it is also tethered by the Starry Body to humanity.

The Agathos Daimon – in Strix Craft – is a quickening energy which keeps alive Awareness, Conscience, Behavior, and Forethought. It is also the key to Magic. In fact, in the old Mysteries, how to make fire was our first Magic as a people.

The Azure Flame
It is seated above the crown of the head, incorporating the “crown chakra” and “third eye.” The Azure Flame is the highest energy center, and locks with the Divine. By worshiping the Azure Flame, meditating on it, and working with it in our growth, we awaken new sensations, thoughts, Magics, and experiences. We may use it to create filters, raise energy, open psychic awareness, gain a better hold on our psychic skills, do trance work, perform healings, and seal our Initiations from life to life. The Azure Flame is a powerful tool, and it has much to offer witches who desire to connect with our Strix current.

*Hir is used by some Strix as a way of communicating the gender neutrality of Nyx, being both male, female, and neither.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

My book is now available for pre-order! 

Hail the Victorious Dead!

by Oracle Hekataios
Pentacle
Pentacle, the sacred symbol of Wiccans

In the United States, today is Memorial Day, a day in which we as a nation mourn and remember our fallen soldiers. Interestingly enough, while homage has been paid towards them, there is still discrimination for many when they aren’t wearing uniforms and look like everyone else in the military. The stereotype of our everyday fighting men and women is that they are Midwestern or Southern Christians who love their country. Their parents have the American flag waving on their front porch, and they come from a conservative background. This background has taught them the fundamentals of God, country, and family.

What is left out are the many people in the military who are LGTBQIA, Neopagan, Witches, and Heathens. There are also plenty of our servicemen and women who embrace other religious faiths such as Islam. Along with that, there are many who are liberal and progressive. But there is an erasure in the minds of many Americans that these soldiers would even exist to begin with. Liberals and progressives are often viewed as conscientious objectors or anti-war protesters, burning the flag and are viewed by many conservatives as nothing more than traitors who don’t belong in the country because of their dissidence.

For Neopagans and Witches, there was a lot of religious discrimination in the military affiliate-wise. For many years, they have opted to have “No Preference” or “Other” on their dogtags in order to hide their identities (not that much choice was given to them). Witchcraft itself was not viewed as a religion but rather as a satanic cult (apologies to Satanists out there; you guys are awesome!).

1990’s
I remember in 1997, Fort Hood in Austin, Texas, gave their permission to support an open circle called the Fort Hood Open Circle, a religious meeting for Wiccans. It wasn’t a large gathering as I recall, but merely a couple of dozen maybe. Well, okay, that is a large Neopagan gathering, especially on a military base, where people choose to come out of the broom closet and share their values and beliefs. Soon after, Wiccan circles popped up in other bases.

Rep. Bob Barr objected to Neopaganism and Witchcraft in the Armed Forces. He was a Republican from the state of Georgia, and is most famous for being the prosecutor against then President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial. He is also famous for writing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law which prohibited same-sex marriages from being federally recognized. Barr heard about the Wiccan Circle, and immediately wrote a letter calling for the sacred spaces to be taken down. He vehemently disagreed with non-Christians being in the military, especially Witches. In fact, I also remember getting the news from TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) that organizations like the Family Research Council and the Christian Coalition were calling for people to NOT join the military until this was taken care of!  

Barr and his allies felt that Witchcraft in the military was an oxymoron, and that the military had zero right to the First Amendment. Of course, the irony is that if this were really the case, then Christian chaplains and church services would also be banned. But they weren’t, and it was a clear act of discrimination. Although the case dropped eventually, George W. Bush – a governor at the time for the state of Texas  – stated famously that Witchcraft was not a religion and that the government needed to reassess their decision.

Sgt. Patrick Stewart
On September 25th, 2005, Sgt. Patrick Stewart was killed in Afghanistan. His Nevada Army National Guard Chinook helicopter was on its way back to base when it was shot down from the sky by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was 34 years old and a practicing Wiccan.

Sgt. Stewart was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. However, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) did not recognize Wicca. What’s interesting is that the VA must approve the symbols, and at that time about 30 were known…even one for atheists. But Wicca seemed to be another creature altogether. No one wanted to deal with witches. The emblem waiting to be approved was a pentacle, and his widow, Roberta Stewart, wanted that on his gravestone.

Just shy of one year later on September 13th, 2006, then-governor of Nevada Kenny Guinn gave permission for the state to allow the pentacle on Sgt. Stewart’s grave in Nevada. The states had the right to make those decisions if the fallen soldier was buried in a state’s veteran cemetery. On the weekend of November 16-18th 2006, the headstone with the pentacle was installed.

I didn’t remember the specifics of this one; what I do remember were the national headlines featuring the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) filing a lawsuit against the government. Representing Roberta Stewart, the AUSCS stated that the federal government was not upholding the First Amendment by deliberately excluding the pentacle on a veteran’s gravestone. The military had a list at that time of 38 accepted signs; even doing that was considered discriminatory.

Finally in 2007, the VA and the AUSCS came to an agreed settlement: the pentacle, moving forward, would be placed on all gravestones, plaques, and markers issued by the VA for Wiccans. In later years other symbols followed, such as the Awen for Druids and Mjolnir for Heathens.

Captain Don Larsen
The situation seemed to simmer down (at least publicly in the media) when another event took place in 2007. A Christian chaplain by the name of Captain Don Larsen had decided to leave the Christian religion; more specifically, Pentecostal Christianity. I admired him because I left the Pentecostal denomination as well for Witchcraft several years earlier. It is never easy.

Captain Larsen was stationed at Camp Anaconda in Iraq, and was a frequent evangelist to his fellow soldiers. But after much contemplation and dealing with mixed feelings and beliefs, he became Wiccan. When he did, he attempted to become a Wiccan chaplain. Unfortunately, it was denied. Captain Larsen was also removed from Iraq and any future chaplaincy service.

When I read Captain Larsen’s story, I am reminded of myself. Although I am younger than he is, I have followed a similar path of publicly doing one thing and privately another. So I strongly empathize with him. I don’t know if Captain Larsen is still active with the military or what has become of him, but it would be interesting to compare religious notes. At least to me.

Conclusion
Sometimes we are granted rights. Other times they are implied. And still at other times, we have to fight for them even if documents say we are granted them. While symbols on headstones seem trivial for some, it is actually fighting for your identity both in life and in death. One deserves to be remembered and honored for who they were, not for who they hid themselves to be. Authenticity is a must in our times – any time in fact. But especially now with the rise of right-wing extremism in certain countries, or the genocidal atrocities made in others because the majority feel threatened by a minority.

My blog post today was written to give you a sense of what happens when we need to fight for being recognized, even when we serve and die for the love of our nation. At times our own people and leaders will vilify what we do and who we are. We continue to try and do the right thing, hoping that in the end at some point we will be rewarded with recognition.

But that isn’t always the case. For many of us, history is written by the winners (which are oft the majority in power). Minorities like the Chinese, LGBTQIA folks, Sikhs, Witches, Neopagans, Heathens, Palestinians, Tibetans, Yazidis, Native Americans, Australian Aborigines, Jews, Afro-Diasporic religious practitioners, and others face day-to-day persecutions and bias in many places around the world. The world is fraught with right-wing extremism rising up and even in power in many places around the world. Nothing has ever been simple, especially when battling for your right to live as true to yourself as possible.

Remember: hail to those who have gone before you to forge the path you now walk!

Hail to those who continue to pave the way!

Hail, to the Victorious Dead!

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Against the Monotheists

by Oracle Hekataios

M v P

Apologetics (Gk. “Speaking in Defense”) is something which I love. When I was a Christian, apologetics were taught in an effort to justify our beliefs as opposed to that of “sinners.” Witchcraft, Satanism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Roman Catholics: it didn’t matter. I enjoyed lively debates which, I hoped, would have led to conversions. I read the works of some of the Church Fathers who wrote constantly of the defense for Christianity as opposed to the “pagans.” With that in mind, I’d like to write this post as an attack on monotheism and the defense of polytheism.

Monotheism in the West: A Brief History
Many of you will be made uncomfortable by this topic. After all, we lot tend to be very tolerant of other religions and religious practices. The last thing many of us want is vitriol. However, I feel this is important, not least because of how much monotheism around the world and throughout history has been violent.

Monotheism means “One God.” It first arose with the Hebrew tribes who united to create a single nation. It was not without violence and theocrasia, or the blending of different deities into one main one. The Canaanites as a whole were all polytheists. They worshiped deities named Asherah (a female Goddess), El, or El Elyon (the Most High), El Shaddai, Elohim, and others. Eventually, the Israelites compounded the El of the Canaanites and their YHWH to became a single deity. The inspiration there was one single omniscient and omnipotent Creator was unique. The Goddess, Asherah, was worshiped alongside YHWH for centuries. In fact, you can read about the condemnation of her worship by the Hebrew prophets in the Bible, so popular was she.

In Egypt, the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV raised a solar deity into the Supreme Deity named Aten.  By his orders, all idols were forbidden and so was polytheism. He changed his name to Akhenaten, and declared that Aten was the sole deity of Egypt with him as the intermediary between the God and the people of Egypt. In fact, Amenhotep IV wrote a hymn which states:

O sole God, like whom there is no other!
Thou didst create the world according to thy desire…

After Amenhotep IV’s death, polytheism returned and cartouches of the Pharoah were destroyed.

When Christianity began as a religious movement, it was divided into different sects which all had various views on God. The New Testament makes it seem like there has been a good stream of monotheism throughout the early history of Christianity, but that wasn’t the case. Christian groups like the Arians (popular among the Germanic tribes), believed that there was one God, and that Jesus did not exist until he was born. This effectively undermined the work of the Trinitarians, who espoused the belief that the Christian God was 3-in-1.

In the year 325 CE, when the Roman Emperor Constantine I (the Great) assumed the throne, he was baptized by an Arian bishop. Hoping to bring the different groups together, Constantine called for the first Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea (a town in modern day Turkey). Everyone argued about which doctrines were correct. Christianity pushed doctrine rather than practice, something the polytheistic religions were known for.

Christian bishops wanted a clear orthodox (“right teaching”) which defined their creed. As a side note, they also argued when to celebrate Easter. Anyway, the Council of Nicaea came up with what is now known as the Nicene Creed; a creed which represents Christian orthodoxy. Among the most important beliefs was where Jesus stood in regards to God: was he non-existent before being born? In other words, not God? Was he God always and just merely an essence, or extension, of God? And what of the Holy Spirit?

At the Council, these questions were answered by declaring that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, were all in eternal existence and made of the same substance. The Trinitarian view was subsequently affirmed in later Councils as well. However, the Trinitarian teaching was rejected by Judaism and later Islam as proof that Christianity was not monotheistic, but polytheistic.

In Islam, monotheism is believed to set this religion apart from Christianity. This teaching is known as a tawhid, or “oneness of God.” A central tenet in Islam, God is the only being in the Cosmos; submission is to him alone. Islam recognizes Judaism as a fellow monotheistic religion. However, Islam as a whole rejects Christianity for their doctrine of the Trinity, which smacks of polytheism. God in Islam is fully transcendent; that is, God is separate from his creation.

Why Monotheism Fails
As you can see, the definition and defense of monotheism by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam has a long a sordid history. The teaching that there is as single, transcendent deity who is all pervasive creates in the mind of humans a strict dyad, the fallacy of everything in black and white. That there can only be two choices for a human, one resulting in punishment and the other in a paradise. This feeds into a narrative in which judgement reigns supreme, a superiority complex that upholds a monotheist’s emotional connection to their strong beliefs, rather than an understanding of multiple viewpoints.

Monotheism, by introducing the singular Divinity, erases critical thinking skills, a pluralistic worldview, and contradictions in the functions and thoughts of that deity. For example, a singular divinity is said to be omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent. But these cannot co-exist with the reality of our world and Cosmos. In truth, our world is a violent one: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, venomous animals, limited resources, and extinction level events.

Can monotheism explain evolution? Can monotheism explain why for millions of years no humans existed, and yet we are meant to believe that we are the only animal in need of salvation? The transcendent God – the one removed from the world after Creation – is by default unconcerned. They cannot be omnibenevolent and still allow violence to overtake and cause pain, misery, and suffering for humans from natural events. I use the Nature argument as opposed to the fanatical Human argument, which places the blame of murder and genocide squarely on humans. Monotheists will claim that we did this to ourselves by falling from grace. Then again, the Nature argument will also be debated by a monotheist stating that all violence in this world is the effect of falling from grace and out of favor with the single God.

In human history, monotheism has been the singly greatest cause for murder and genocide. It is a tenant which must be believed, rather than allowing the mind to see the beauty of plural truths in our world. By taking this belief system and fighting over which one is the true doctrine, differences of opinions have led dissenters of these monotheistic teachings to harass and kill these “heretics,” while destroying their relics, statues, and committing cultural genocide.

Modern examples include the burning of women and children in Uganda, where Pentecostal churches are making a major political impact with support from American Pentecostal megachurches. In the United States, religion in right-wing Christian groups have been pushing to take away the rights of LGBTQIA people, along with pushing holy wars with the Islamic Middle East. In Brazil, Pentecostal churches lead the way as cultural genocide and murder are committed against Afro-Diaposric religions such as the adherents of Palo. In the Islamic Middle East, Wahhabi (orthodox) Muslims wage violent jihad against Baha’i and other Islamic sects for being heretical. The Yazidi people are called Satan worshipers and murdered.

There are of course also the historical narratives of Christians, Jews, and Muslims committing atrocities against polytheistic peoples. Canaanites, Arabic polytheists, Germanic polytheists, and others have faced the sword of monotheistic belief systems. Indigenous peoples have suffered under the might of monotheistic belief systems invading their lands.

In Favor of Polytheism
Wars were committed under polytheistic societies, this is fact. However, wars were fought over land and resources, not belief systems. When we are born and we grow, we discover the wonders of diversity in our world: multiple colors, multiple shapes, multiple ethnicities, multiple animals, etc. The world is an enchanted place. We all carry different opinions, truths, and a myriad of different experiences. This diversity is naturally going to be applied to how we view deity and spirits.

In some beliefs such as those of folk Catholics, saints replace the Old Gods as people seek out different beings over different influences. Polytheism is realistic in its approach to the world: there are separate peaceful and violent spirits which exist in our world. Yes, polytheists have faith and prayers to their deities and spirits, and oftentimes they are not answered just like in monotheism. But that is a human issue, not a divine one. Polytheists make no mistake that the world is a giant contradiction in its diversity, and so therefore our spirits are extensions of how the world and the Cosmos work.

Our deities and spirits are also limited. They are not omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, or omnibenevolent. They are limited in their scope. That is fine. We humans are also limited, and Nature is as well. Some people assert that polytheism is merely a primitive way to explain the world prior to the “truth of [insert monotheistic religion here].” But one can also argue that point with monotheism. So that argument, in my opinion, is moot.

But an all-powerful deity cannot be all good and all knowing and all powerful at the same time. That is a contradiction. So monotheists will inform their followers that they must rely on faith, because those contradictions make no sense to the human mind. Polytheists, on the other hand, also have faith, but are more concerned with Right Behavior, Right Choice, and Right Action. It is an orthopraxy (“right practice”). Atheists existed in the ancient world as they do now. Rational thought is a positive approach. As a polytheist and a person of Reason, I am not ashamed to say that those go hand-in-hand. Parmenides, the Father of Western Rationalism, was presented with the rules of Reason by his Underworld journey to the Goddess Persephone. Secular Reason and polytheism can co-exist side by side.

Conclusion
I am glad that there are many Jews, Christians, and Muslims who have rationally and honestly looked at their religion’s past and have adapted over the ages, becoming more secular and progressive. They don’t allow their facts to deprive them of their faith. At the same time, this poses a danger to many strict monotheists whose worldview only allows for one way and one truth. The perennial problem of evil in the world has no justifiable answer in monotheism, because their God is supposed to be all good. In polytheism, however, we face this issue with knowing our Gods and Nature can be inseparable (not that our Gods and spirits are sole expressions of natural phenomenon).

In the end, we view the history of humankind and that of evolution as an issue for human thought. However, monotheistic loyalty to their “true God” continues with more questions for the ages. Who is the true God? Which heretic was right? Which one was wrong? It is only a human’s authority which proclaims such things, along with the belief that the “right people” are in sole possession of knowing the Mind and Will of God. They KNOW. But in polytheism, there is nothing wrong with philosophical contemplation. We worship, we practice: we CHOOSE. The Gods and spirits will not rain down wrath because we choose not to worship. It comes down to that simplistic of teachings: free will.

Our free will is in danger when monotheism is permitted to define our national frame of mind. We can exercise it without the fear of being punished, whether here or in the hereafter (which is again a choice to believe in polytheism). I encourage my “soft” monotheistic friends to hold their monotheistic comrades, churches, and masjids (mosques) accountable when their ways endanger our fellow polytheists, such as in Australia, Africa, India, South America, and here in the United States. When our allies do so, we can then face the world together.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

 

 

The Triple Soul

by Oracle Hekataios

Starry Body

In StrixCraft, particularly Ophic Strix, we have the concept of the Triple Soul. The Triple Soul is a concept unique to our Craft and etheric anatomy.  These are different parts of what we call in English the soul, although more specific words exist in many systems. We will explore here the etheric anatomy as we view it.

The Beginning
In StrixCraft as I teach it, the First Cause for the Cosmos and all that exists (and will exist) comes from the Star Goddess Nyx. Nyx means “Night,” and she is the enigmatic force and flow of all. She is the universe made manifest: the consciousness of evolution and the existence of all beings. She is also called First Mother. She is crowned with a billion blue and white stars, and her glory is wondrous to behold. She is also the First Oracle.

From her, all of the Primordials, Gods, and Spirits came into being. As did other beings who dwell on other planets, and humanity. By erotic Magic was the Cosmos born, and so it is by eroticism that the Cosmos is maintained, and Magic exists everywhere. Due to the fact that Magic exists, when humanity was birthed on the evolutionary scale, that Magic not only formed the body, but it also formed the psyche (“soul”).

Psyche
The psyche is the seat of the existence for a person. This is the sum of the entirety of our being, the basic framework of evolution and consciousness. The symbol of the psyche is a butterfly, as this creature “dies and lives again” when transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly. While alive, the psyche holds everything together: the human body and the three parts. It is also where Magic resides, the source of our abilities and skills. Some people have a natural talent of Will to shape their Reality; the fabric of Fate. It is by the Triple Soul that the psyche is able to act.

The Lunar Body 
The first part I would like to discuss is the Lunar Body. This is the “lowest” part of the psyche; that is, the closest to our physical bodies. What impacts the physical body will also impact the Lunar Body. The Lunar Body is the seat of the etheric double (the alter ego or ghost), desire, and the basic passions of the body. The Lunar Body is connected with the cycles of the Moon: as the Moon waxes, the Lunar Body is strengthened to externally impact and shape its Will. As the Moon wanes, the Lunar Body begins to introspect. At the dark of the moon, the Lunar Body is cloaked in darkness, being still. It is connected to the genitals. The Lunar Body is the one concerned with experiencing the out-of-body experience. To add, the Lunar Body is the one which also is linked to the ancestors; food and drink left for the ancestors feeds the Lunar Body. It is therefore linked to Memory. If the Lunar Body is not fed, it disappears.

The same goes for the Tides of Magic.

Tides of Magic
At the Tempis Eversionis (the time of the Winter Solstice through the Spring Equinox), the Lunar Body is incubated. While Magic can still be performed during this time, most of the energies in the Winter should be directed towards meditation, etheric travel, healing, and self-development. At this time, too, the dark spirits of the Fae are active. But it is because of the incubation period that the StrixCraft as I teach it does not perform dedications or initiations until after the Spring Equinox.

At the Tempus Sementis (the time from the Spring Equinox until the Summer Solstice), there is a sexual awakening in the psyche, and the Lunar Body begins to exercise Will and theurgical workings. Theurgy means “God Work,” or working Magic for self-development, spiritual contact with the Upper World Gods and spirits, and is the time of the light Fae. Initiations and dedications are performed during this time.

At the Tempus Messis (the time of the Summer Solstice to the Autumn Equinox), the Lunar Body as a whole begins to connect with thaumaturgy. Thaumaturgy means “Wonder Working,” and is concerned with Magics to perform summonings, evocations of spirits and deities, and healings.

At the Tempus Consilii (the time of the Autumn Equinox to the Winter Solstice), we enter the Underworld and work with the ancestors heavily. They shouldn’t be ignored throughout the year, but this is the time when they are most active.

The Solar Body
The Solar Body is centered in the heart. The heart is perhaps the most important of the bodies. Here is the seat of emotions, our conscious minds, Will, character, judgement, and behavior. It connects the physical body to the psyche (wherein all of the triple parts dwell). The Solar Body is also concerned with astral travel and, when leaving the body, can shapeshift into an animal familiar. In an out-of-body experience, this is the part which leaves this plane and heads “towards the light” to join the beloved dead. Because of the Sun’s ability to make shadows, here dwells the Shadow Self as well. At death, the Solar Body carries the essence of the individual and may reincarnate.

The Starry Body
The Starry Body is located in the crown of the head and third eye. The Starry Body is our highest genius, or the repository of our Higher Self. Here is the “True Name,” or the identity we carry from life to life. It is connected with the Solar Body, keeping the eternal repositories of our memories, initiations, the Group Soul (those individuals who have been with us for a long time, from life to life, and we remain strongly connected with), and the source of Magic. Oracular possessions, connection to divinity, and Reason are also here. It carries the power of the subconscious and the Collective. The Starry Body is also the imprint of the astrological powers defined at birth. It is my personal belief, however, that the imprint can be changed on oneself through the Work.

Conclusion
These are the Tripartite Soul anatomy that exists in StrixCraft as I teach it. It is powerful and effective. Many may not agree with my placements, and that’s fine. The Bodies blend here and there, and may separate as well to return to their pure states. However, for the sake of imagination and classification for linear thinking most of us possess, I divide them neatly. But that isn’t always the case; think again of the tides of both the Moon and the Four Tides of Magic. There is always more to our anatomies, such as the Triple Flame which I will go into in another blog. We are complex beings. But for us, it all comes down to the Star Goddess Nyx, in whom we live, move, and have our being. She is the Goddess Eternal, and at the end of all things, we will return to her and give her our memories and experiences so she may know herself once more.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

Magic, Mystery Religions, and Psychology

by Oracle Hekataios
Freud-and-Jung
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung

The entrance of psychological concepts into Witchcraft and Occulture in general has not gone unnoticed. For example, interpretations on certain Tarot decks or explaining the existence of Gods and spirits in a mental way (that is, that these forces are merely constructs within our subconscious). These psychological explanations seem to soften our religious practices and attune them to the “educated,” rather than others. But how did it begin? What forces were invoked to dilute the Occult in this manner?

Occultism
The word “occultism” (things that are hidden) came about in the 19th century among French metaphysical orders. Prior to that the groups of Natural Magic, Astrology, and Alchemy were referred to as the “occult sciences,” in an attempt to make them compatible with modern science. Many scientists and philosophers in the late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods held onto occult beliefs and practices such as Sir Isaac Newton, Marsilio Ficino, Paracelsus, Leonardo da Vinci, Johann Friedrich Schweitzer, and Franz Kessler (among others).

Occult sciences were studied in Arabic, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and English countries. The spread of the occult sciences to these regions blossomed from its roots in Near Eastern sources such as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and the Byzantine period prior to its conquest by the Islamic Turks. Yet it was the work of the Islamic Caliphate Empire that provided the means to copy and preserve occult writings from the past and protect them in their libraries. It was the passing on of certain Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Gnostic works into Italy by way of the Islamic Empire that spawned the Italian Renaissance. This Renaissance in turn took root in the countries aforementioned.

The German Occult Revival and Theosophy
The Austrian Empire, Germany, Prussia, and the German States had their own Occult Revival beginning in the 19th century but with roots going back to the 12th century Knights Templar. A movement known as the Rosicrucian (“Rose Cross”) Movement flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. Later in 1884 a branch of Theosophy was established. Theosophy (“Divine Wisdom”) is a non-sectarian philosophical branch which has influenced the works of many Occult authors and esoteric orders. This organization’s founders saw themselves as investigators of Truth and also a bridge between West and East.

Note: It was during this time – and earlier – that India was under the dominion of the British Empire. British spiritual seekers traveled to India and Sri Lanka to gain “older” occult currents into their spiritual and magical systems. India was a fascinating place. Keep in mind that Church and State were (are) inseparable in the Empire, and therefore the history the English learned was that of a literal Bible interpretation for history. When indigenous tribes were “discovered” in the Americans, Australia, the Pacific Islands, East Asia, and the Indian Subcontintent, British scientists and travelers wanted to know how these “exotic and noble savages” lived their loves with morals and yet without the Bible. There were also discoveries that these lands had civilizations older than the 6,000 year history the British Church taught; many of these were later hidden from the general public until the late 20th century.

As the German Occult Revival went underway, an unfortunate turn of events slowly changed the direction of German Occultism from one of openness to one of nationalism, misinterpreting Gnostic texts – such as that the Jews were evil because their God, Yahweh (the Demiurge) was also evil. As well, early anthropological studies began using the term “Aryan” for the ancestors of Europeans, Iranians, and Indians. This word was ingrained as a call for nationalism among “White Aryans” to band together and restore “the superior race.”

The French Occult Revival
As the German Occult Revival was underway, another movement was being birthed in France during the mid-19th century. One of the men (or perhaps the main one) responsible for the revival of Occultism was a gentleman by the name of Alphonse Louis Constant; better known by his esoteric name Eliphas Levi.

Eliphas was a Qabalist and socialist. His magical studies helped him to see how socialism – as a reaction against an empire of monarchs – was also a place one could easily discuss magical subjects. His Qabalistic ideals and magical inquiries were shaped by his socialist circles. Levi began to work in Dream Magic, Qabala, Magnetism, and Ceremonial Magic. He published his “History of Magic” in 1861. Levi attempted to define just what Magic was/is. His work with the Tarot was influential with other Occult Orders, such as the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn. It was also Levi who gave us the modern and most famous image of Baphomet, the “Sabbatic Goat” of Witchcraft and the utmost symbolism of the Absolute:

Baphomet
Levi’s Baphomet

The Libido and the Psychoanalysis of the Mind and of Magic
Enter Sigmund Freud in all of this hullabaloo. The atmosphere was rife with occult imagery, orders, and philosophies. Freud had a hatred for the occult sciences. However, the psychoanalysis he gave to women and other patients at the time made sexual energy (“libido”) the main focus of their diagnosis and subsequent treatment. He interpreted otherwise paranormal phenomenon as nothing more than expressions of the libido. For example, in a conversation with his student Carl Jung, he said:

You see, we must make a dogma of it, an unshakable bulwark…Against the black tide of mud, of occultism.

And although he said this and expressed hatred for the occult sciences, nonetheless Freud did have some interest in it himself. For example, Freud and a friend visited a German psychic named Frau Seidler who lived in Berlin.

Although Freud was following his school of thought, it was his pupil Carl Jung who really made an impact on Occulture. He had a lifelong fascination and even wrote treatises on his alleged theories. He departed from the sexual hypotheses of Freud and embraced a more spiritual connection. Jung believed in the paranormal and Occult. He participated in seances and spent time with prominent spiritualists such as Douglas Home, the renowned Spiritualist who could levitate his body.

But what Jung is most famous is for is his theories on the Collective Unconscious, Archetypes, and transpersonal psychology (he coined the term transpersonal). He studied dreams in individuals and noted that there was a collective thought. This collective, he hypothesized, spoke in “universal symbols” and fashioned what he called archetypes. For example, there was the “universal meaning” of mother-child, father-child, the Shadow, the wise old man, the hunter, and the Hero. These, he felt, were important additions to occult psychology: how correspondences in Magic were seen as the same as the Collective.

Magic as a Psychological Pursuit
Due to these discoveries, many occultists adopted these Jungian tropes and transferred it over to Magic. Instead of ritual and personal growth in Magical skills such as astral projection, summoning spirits, interacting with the spirits of our world, worshiping deities, and making inner connections to other Magical endeavors, people began writing and saying that these performances were all in the Mind: the Mindscape where all repositories of Dream Symbol and Dream Language exist. This has caused a lot of chaos in Magic, most especially for people who desire a spiritual connection, not just a mental exercise.

Spirits and Gods began to be viewed as constructs of the Mindscape, and therefore did not need worship or careful precautions. Exorcisms were explained as the individual forming a negative image in their mind and then using that image and psychological language to “force the Shadow out,” and integrate the lesson with the positivity of Light. In fact, the New Age Movement has incorporated so much of this information.

“Pathworkings” with fantastical meditations were used. Also, the introduction of “What does this mean to you,” rather than Mystery Traditions who kept a common framework for their own meaning in order to secure the egregore. The egregore is a psychic elemental who watches over the coven, lodge, or grove and steers it and its people towards the Work. It comes from the word Grigori, or “Watcher.”

Accountability in spiritual and Magical matters were thrown aside, and more people joined Witchcraft and Neopagansim because of its penchant to not be heavy in doctrine and be an “anything goes” scenario. While I encourage individual workings because we are all different, and we all engage with spirits and deities differently, nonetheless the influence of Jung and psychology into the Craft and Polytheism really made a disservice. People no long wanted to be taught the Old Ways, opting instead for personal flavorings of deities and spirits who “they liked.”

Conclusion
Magic is not psychological. Divination is not psychological. The Mysteries are not psychological. They will have an impact on the Mind (psyche), but it isn’t the same thing. It is for these reasons that many Occultists and polytheists are returning to the ways which predate the psychological intervention of our worship and Magics. Neopagans as a whole have adopted many New Age concepts and language, focusing on self-development as opposed to seeing self-development as an effect of Magic, and not the reason for it.

Magic is real. It takes time and training. Correspondences are for knowing the realm of each spirit, not for you to build up your mind so you can feel better about what you’re doing. Magic is dark and light. Worship is a must. Training and passing on the ways of our people to the next generation are important. Education is fundamental.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

 

The Danger of Literalism in Myth

by Oracle Hekataios
Graves Myth
A book on Greek Mythology

Literal interpretations of our stories is something that pops up in a lot of places. From Zeus being someone who nobody will come near to Artemis hating men, I’d like to tackle this creature. There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to explaining Greek myths. In order to begin, we have to start with poets which programmed humans to literalism in the first place.

The Gospel of Homer and the Epistles of Hesiod
Ancient Greek poets such as Homer and Hesiod often wrote their stories after praising the Muses, Goddesses of Inspiration, Memory, Music, and other arts. This indicates that their poetry was divinely inspired, and not just their invention. The problem lies in that not much literature has survived from this time period, but we know that there are different mythic tales depending on the region of Greece or Magna Graecia (the Orphic Myths come to mind, as well as some of the stories of the city of Lokri). There were no uniform stories.

Still, scholars throughout the Middle Ages and the later 19th century were obsessed with viewing Homer and Hesiod as the critical texts that everyone believed in. Hardly anyone thought to give space for oral traditions passed down from mouth to ear, which was surely the case for most of Greek Mythos. Instead, epics such as Homer’s “The Iliad and the Odyssey,” along with Hesiod’s “Theogony,” were viewed as the final authority on how Greek Mythos was to be interpreted.

The Plays
In time, playwrights wrote about mythological narratives, but with the purpose of entertainment. The playwrights didn’t really (as far as we know) look at mythos as sacrosanct: holy relics to be untouched and reverenced. Instead, by reading some of the tragedies such as “The Bacchae” written by Euripides or the words of Aeschylus give us indication that – gasp! – fan fiction existed.

That’s right: the Greek Myths were nothing more than fodder for excitement and suspense to the audience as a whole. Unfortunately, many writings were lost, and in some cases only fragments survived. For example, for Aeschylus only seven plays survive, out of a possible ninety which are attributed to him.

The Presocratics
The Presocratics were a group of philosophers and mystics who predated or were contemporary with the philosopher Socrates. They are considered some of the first critics of poetic myth. They were early scientists who had a natural curiosity of the world around them, and began to view mythic tales as explanations for natural phenomena, or simply allegories and fables. Teachers in this school of thought often didn’t agree with one another, and that was fine (for some).

The Presocratics weren’t atheists; in fact, many were quite theistic and religious. It was just that they challenged interpretations of the natural world: that the deities and spirits were the first cause for activity in the world and the Cosmos.

The Rise of Christianity
This post is not an attack on Christianity, but it does deserve mention. When Christianity first began, many of the Greek Fathers (that is, major figures in the formation of the Early Church who were Greek or Hellenistic) encouraged the metaphorical interpretation of the Bible. An example is Origen who wrote that some parts of the Bible should have an allegorical interpretation. He lived most of his life in the great city of Alexandria, where he had access to the great library I’m sure.

Origen famously wrote:

When God is said to ‘walk in paradise in the cool of the day’ and Adam to hide himself behind a tree, I do not think anyone will doubt that these are figurative expressions which indicate certain mysteries through a semblance of history and not through actual event.

Following this, the Eastern Orthodox Church attempts to use a balanced approach between literalism, allegory, historical narrative, and moral lessons. The Roman Catholic Church as a whole also at times uses this approach. The Bible is not the only material they go by. They also have the oral traditions, the Mysteries, and the lives of the Saints.

Martin Luther and Sola Scriptura
Martin Luther, the Reformist who left the Roman Catholic church and formed his own movement (later the Protestants), saw the teaching of sola scriptura (by Scripture alone) as one of the fundamental differences between himself and the Church. As a result of rejecting the Catholic traditions, he was declared a heretic.

Protestant Christians grasped onto this teaching, and Biblical literalism was born. The Bible is literally believed to be “God-breathed,” the inerrant Word of God. Nothing outside of it can exist in contradiction to it. Every single word is to be the only answer to how a Christian should live in the world, no questions asked. This teaching is said to stem from the apostle Paul’s letter to his acolyte Timothy:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:12-17).

The Protestant Framework
Due to this framework of sola scriptura, many Protestant Americans and other peoples have a difficult time with reading the Bible without questioning it. They take it at face value, and as a result transfer that mindset to other avenues. Critical thinking skills are discouraged, and the responsibility of a reader is no longer a part of their training. My late father taught me the value of a reader’s responsibility insofar as reading a text is concerned: read with an open mind, ask questions, examine the book section by section, analyze, and then interpret. And leave room for changes in interpretation as you continue to re-read the texts at different stages in your life.

These skills are hardly taught in public schooling anymore. As a result, when we grow and change religions or philosophies, we tend to see a philosopher or “esteemed writer” as an orthodox source of knowledge. This has unfortunately passed into Neopaganism, Polytheism, and Witchcraft.

There are many people who have come to these religious practices taking authors at their word that the final period is it. As a result, our stories and songs (myths) are distorted. A famous example in Hellenic Polytheism is how many handle Zeus or Hades. Zeus’ sexual exploits (rape included) create a strong reaction and aversion for people who have experienced those things. They refuse to worship a “patriarchal God” who does what he wants, being unfaithful to Hera and causing all sorts of mischief.

What people don’t realize is that we need to take a philosophical approach, a worship approach, and a critical approach to these stories. Zeus, a fertility God of the Storms and Weather, is why he is very active. Recall that there are different myths depending on the region and even Mystery Cult. Remember: the “Gospel of Homer” and the “Epistles of Hesiod” (tongue-in-cheek here) are someone’s fan fiction of mythic figures. It is their interpretation, and their own agenda.

Conclusion
Zeus is not a rapist. Hades didn’t rape Kore who became Persephone. Hekate is not a hag. Evolution is real. Personally, I do not look to the myths as how to view the Gods. I can, and that choice in how I interpret is up to me and how it defines my relationship with the Gods and spirits. However, archaeological evidence has a better tale in how everyday people approached the deities and spirits. It often clashes with the poetic styles we have. I encourage you to gain a foothold in philosophy, thealogy (yes with an “a”), hermeneutics, and exegesis. These will be of tremendous value moving forward for the budding Neopagan, polytheist, and witch. Our books may be sacred, but we are not Protestant. They are not scripture. You have your own mind, and Reason is a gift from the Gods.

I would also like to remind you: the Father of Rationalism, Parmenides, was taught the rules of Reason in an Underworld journey to the Goddess Persephone. So think about that the next time you worship your deities and spirits, using Reason to guide you.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

My Hekatean Adventure

by Oracle Hekataios
Hekate Statue
Hekate, the Infernal Lady

My first time ever writing about Hekate can be found here. I even wrote an oracle one time and it can be found here. I should get back to writing those when they are for the community at large. These are trying times, and I know people want direction in their lives. Corporate oracles can be taken in and may speak to more than one individual. It might even be a prophecy to the world at large.

Note: When I mean prophecy I do not necessarily mean an oracle for the future all of the time.

I’d like to describe my Hekatean adventure, or how I and Hekate built our relationship all of these years.

Jason and the Argonauts
In 1963 a film was made titled “Jason and the Argonauts.” a film by Don Chaffey and featuring an actor named Todd Armstrong in the title role. Visual effects were done by the famous Ray Harryhausen of creature dynamation fame. The beautiful actress Nancy Kovak appeared as Medea, the High Priestess of Hekate.

I watched the film for the first time when I was 8 years old. I was immediately taken with the mythology. However, when I saw Medea, I fell in love. At first I wasn’t aware of who she was. But what enamored me was her dance in the Temple of Hekate and the depiction of the statue. The clip of the dance is below:

When Jason is captured, Medea struggles to figure out what to do. Then she prayed to the Goddess Hekate – “Queen of Darkness” – to aid her. It was a thrilling moment, as I was exposed to something exotic. They didn’t cover Hekate in my class lesson on Greek Mythology; and there was something about Hekate and Medea…

That night I had a dream. I dreamed a symbol came to me with regards to Hekate. When I woke up I drew it in my journal at the time. As I researched my dad’s library and the school library, I couldn’t find anything on the symbol or on Hekate. So I left it alone, wondering how I could reach her.

As I studied the occult growing up, I became interested in Witchcraft. I didn’t want to be involved in Santeria like my mom was. It just wasn’t something I wanted. However, my godmother read Tarot, could interpret symbols in the cup of coffee after it was drunk, and was able to contact spirits. Now that interested me. I just took it in a different direction.

I found a book on Witchcraft at my local library. There was a chant and spell you had to repeat 9 times while in the center of a circle. Keeping this a secret, I went in my backyard. I took our long hose and made it a circle out of it. I took some branches and made a pentagram out of that. I then sat in the middle. It was midnight. I repeated the chant to dedicate myself to the Craft and spirits. The wind whipped up and at the final saying a lightning bolt flashed across the night sky, and it began to pour. I quickly ran inside so the book wouldn’t get wet. It was done. I was a witch.

Pause
My life in the Craft, however, paused. We converted to a Holiness Pentecostal church (except my dad) and our spiritual direction changed. Well, in a way. I told you about some of my biography here, especially the book burning part. I kept hidden some of the books, especially Marion Zimmer Bradley’s “Mists of Avalon.” Truth be told, I became a fanatic. Well, outwardly anyway. I tried so hard to be ultra-Christian because deep down inside I was struggling with my sexuality and my penchant for Neopaganism and Witchcraft.  I wanted to be a witch. A Druid even. I wanted my spiritual life to make sense to me and to accept me for who I was. It was a very nervous breakdown time.

This entire time, every now and then Hekate popped up in my memory. I wanted to rewatch the film and see Medea dance and pray to that triple-headed statue. Little did I know at the time that Hekate is also the Goddess of witches.

Restart
When I left the church, I struggled spiritually where to go. I knew I needed religion in my life. There was absolutely no question about that. I needed a buffer for my skills in healing and prophecy as well as seeing spirits and sensing energy. Many of you reading can probably relate to growing up different, experiencing trauma, and knowing that your life was meant for more.

I studied what I could before becoming a Neopagan and, more specifically, a witch. I’ve already written how Druidry was my first foray into Neopaganism, and it helped me a lot. It brought me the peace that I needed with regards to Christianity and the path calling to me.

To be honest, I didn’t know what I was missing when I attained the grade of Druid (you don’t automatically become one, but train towards that specific office if you want to). I was happy. Content. But, ever the challenger, I wanted to know what it was to be a witch. When that happened, I remembered the Goddess Hekate and she made an impression again in my life.

Hekate and the Craft
I was given so much misinformation on Witchcraft in the beginning. The more I spent time around people claiming to be witches, the more I realized they treated every book by an author with a name as infallible. I read books, too, and my dad taught me to be a critical reader and always ask questions. Apparently asking too many questions around these witches was anathema, probably because it caused them to question as well. I don’t know. But this critical mind was always attacked for being a know-it-all. I even had “friends” I knew tell others that I thought I was better than anyone else, even better than the Gods! I lost a lot of people. I’m sure many of you have also lost a lot of friends because of misinformation or questioning people’s beliefs and values.

Be that as it may, at one point I began to write rituals. They were basic, but we all start somewhere, and there is nothing wrong with basic. Simple circle casting, calling the four directions, and meditations. As a witch, I now had access to some exposure to other authors in the Neopagan and Witchcraft fields who wrote about her. Of course, once again there was a lot of conflicting information on her. I had to dig and figure this out myself.

Unlike others, I didn’t really have an active altar or images of the Gods. I couldn’t afford it. I wasn’t entirely sure I needed it anyway. As a Christian, all you had to do was pray, and the Christian God was there. If he can do that, why not the Goddess? So early on I learned about talking to her and meditating. I had no scripture to lead me, but I had my imagination and will, and that seemed enough.

I finally felt her speak to me one day after years of doing this. I felt her nudging to lead dark moon rituals in a certain format. They were:

  1. Wash hands and face with purified water.
  2. Anoint foreheads with blessed oil (I used olive oil a lot).
  3. Create a circle, whether astrally with blade or with cornmeal, stones, or flowers on the ground in the physical.
  4. Honor the Four Directions.
  5. Pray to the ancestors.
  6. Pray to the Hearth Lady.
  7. Invoke the Gods.
  8. Meditate, dance, or just bow down with music chanting and worshiping.
  9. Thank the Gods.
  10. Thank the Hearth Lady.
  11. Thank the ancestors.
  12. Thank the Four Directions.
  13. Place a bit of food from every dish onto a plate. Grab some wine. Dig a pit where the ancestors are and pour the food and drink in there to feed them and thank them.
  14. Feast.

This was my format for years. The dark moons became my hosted celebration for Hekate. Then Hekate led me to learn a form of Stregheria, or Sicilian-Continental Craft. It was from the family of the late Dr. Leo Martello, a prominent figure in the early Craft movement here in the States.

As I was learning and doing, I felt ready to dedicate myself formally to her. So, one night on November 16th, 2009 when it was the dark of the moon, I formally told her that I was ready for us to be with each other, I wanted to be her priest, and to start my life with her there.

Visions
That night, I had a dream-vision unlike anything I have ever had. I astral traveled across from my home across a great sea. It was dark. I heard the waves and the thunder. It was if the astral realm was alive and potent with energy. As I flew, I looked at my arms and there were wings. I glanced at myself over the ocean and I was a barred owl! Strange I know.

That’s when I saw it – a great tree in the center of the sea. Was this the World Tree? It seemed so. The 7 Classical planets surrounded the tree (Mercury, Venus, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). The tree was large, old, and its roots went deep into the sea. I shapeshifted into something else, and followed a road less traveled beneath the roots. I followed a river and saw other rivers as well. Finally, there was a great lake along a certain route. Here, I was taken in and baptized in the Underworld. It was cold…colder than anything I had ever felt.

The Underworld accepted me. I woke up.

Seven Days
For the next seven days, I had what seemed like a thousand flashes and memories. I was revealed the secret name of the Sicilian Goddess, and was taken to a life in a place called Samothrace (I looked it up later). I did not sleep at all. My mind was racing with so much information.

That’s when it happened: my dreams became gateways again. I was “awake,” after having slept for so long when I left the church. I had some gifts then, but I shut down completely when I left. This freshness from the Goddess awakened something in me I had not felt in a really long time.

On the 9th day after that initial dream-vision, Hekate came to me and asked me for a contract: I would become her oracle, and she would guide me. This would place me in a precarious position, as I learned that any initiation comes with its own costs. But I accepted. I was awake now, and I wanted to remain that way. I was far from perfect at that time. Far. From. Perfect. She didn’t ask me to be that way in any case. But I knew being an Underworld creature meant struggling with my Shadow quite a bit, involving dancing with my demons when need be. On their part anyway.

Conclusion
Herein I have told the tale of my travels in my Hekatean Adventure. Hekate has always been with me, but there needed to be a time when I, in turn, was ready for her. She never forced the relationship. She never pushed her agenda onto me. She only responded when I finally did, and it was then that I became contracted to her. The Underworld is a wonderful place, and I admit I am on the “dark side” when it comes to my occult workings. But that’s because we always need a balance, a harmony, between the light and the dark. Some of us go to one end, and others of us at another. But together, we can manage the energies and blend them when need be. So don’t be afraid of her, dear reader and fellow traveler. The Goddess is only scary to the uninitiated. She remains there. She called me to StrixCraft. She it is who stated that those called to her are of the Strix: the owls. We are her owl people. What’s next? That’s an enigma only your worship and travels with her will tell in time.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

Iatromantis

by Oracle Hekataios
Asklepios
Asklepios: God of Medicine and of the Iatromantis

The iatromantis was a significant player in ancient Greek medicine and mysticism. But their origins as to their techniques have been a mystery for a long time. However, thanks to the works of Peter Kingsley, we have a story to tell.

What is an Iatromanis?
An iatromantis is, literally, a “physician-seer,” or to use a modern expression, “medicine man.” An iatromantis is a shamanic figure, although in my writings I am loathe to use that word because it has the trappings of certain images, such as romanticizing Native Americans and other indigenous populations. I prefer to use the terms which belong to that specific culture.

For the ancient Greek tribes, an iatromantis was a necessary component of their lives, especially in the lands of Magna Graecia (“Greater Greece”). Magna Graecia encompasses the lands of Southern Italy as opposed to Athens. Magna Graecia had more temples than at Athens. Also, there was a very strong influence of “shamanism” which created the Mystery Schools of the iatromantis. It was quite a different culture, and I’ll go into those details in another blog post.

Origins
The meditative and ecstatic techniques that defined an iatromantis have roots going back into Central Asia. It is conjectured that an iatromantis was a foreigner, perhaps Scythian, Thracian, or from Central Asia itself. They came from the land of Hyperborea, or the “land beyond the North Wind.” It was said to be the place where the God Apollo went to every winter from Delphi (the place where his oracle lived in the temple there). In the winter Dionysos watched over the Delphic Oracle. In fact, legend tells us that three priests of the God Apollo dwelt and ruled over Hyperborea, now believed to be the in the Baltic areas. Amber, being Apollo’s sacred resin, is found in that area. Priests of Apollo from Magna Graecia traveled to that region often, including the British Isles.

Asklepios
Asklepios is the demigod Son of Apollo. He was taught by the wise centaur Chiron in the land of Thessaly in the healing arts. He is the Hero patron of physicians, the iatromantis, and medicine. This is significant because it demonstrates that the ancient Greeks saw medicine and mysticism go hand-in-hand. While some eschewed the mystic arts such as Galen and Hippocrates, others became a guild called the Asklepiades: doctors who were priests of Apollo.

Asklepios was so skilled that he even brought people back from the dead, a technique which angered Hades. He complained to his brother Zeus that he would have no one in his kingdom should Asklepios continue his work. So, Zeus killed him with a lightning blot and set his essence in the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. I don’t interpret the story that way. I choose to view it as Zeus granting Asklepios immortality and the apotheosis of a God. Many stories are told which can paint the Gods in a bad light, but with another perception, the stories – without literalism – can grant a strong myth about the central character.

Apollo Oulios 
Apollo was well-rounded in his abilities. He was a God of the Pythian Oracle, medicine, poetry, healing, and archery. Many envision him as a bright Sun God or Light Bearer who rides in a golden chariot. While this imagery is traditional, there is also another facet: an Underworld Apollo, the one of caverns, sleep, and the iatomantis. This Underworld Apollo was a healer using incubation. Incubation is a technique in which – in the stillness of silence – a priest of Apollo would receive divine information. This was the same method used by his son Asklepios. Later, many priests would have their last name “Ouliades,” (of Apollo). Some of the priests were lineaged and the information was passed down via family lines.

Asklepeions were built for these workings: dream temples. In the temples there would be purification rites along with chanting and a place for the ill to sleep. The purpose was to receive a dream-vision from Apollo or Asklepios, who would prescribe the cure. Upon waking, the patient would tell the priest what they had dreamed. By interpretation and oracling, the priest would then give them the cure. Many testimonies exist of these treatments working.

Conclusion
As an iatromantis, it goes well together with my abilities as an oracle. I am interested in medicine, and having a medical background helps. As I go forward with my interest in alternative medicine, I constantly wonder at the revival of these techniques in our time. I know a priestess in my tradition who is skilled at this, and I would like to see more of Apollo’s power and effectiveness built into modern-day asklepeions. I believe that Underworld Apollo is calling to us. I believe that dream-visions are already upon us by souls who are being spoken to and are trying to find a way to learn and incorporate what they are learning into a formal priesthood. If you’re out there, you’re not alone.

Of course, many who are healers are also wounded by trauma and shattered hearts. It will take time, but the calling of a healer normally comes from those wounded. They can empathize with the pain, and so they are the ones who can sense and reach out to others. The healing techniques of Underworld Apollo and his son are making a comeback. You will be made well, and though you carry trauma, slowly but surely new pieces will find you.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

Oracular Possession

by Oracle Hekataios
DDM
Oracle by Georges Rochegrosse

Spirit possession happens a lot more than most people think. It happens in houses, churches. temples, and circles. Just what is it though? How do we do it?

What Is Spirit Possession?
Spirit possession is exactly what it sounds like: being taken over by a spirit. Allowing an entity to use you like a rider using a horse, hence its other name, “horsing.” Spirit possession is perhaps one of the oldest Magics in the world. The notion that the person who allows a spirit to use them goes back to prehistory. For example, in the Cave of the Trois-Freres (Cave of the Three Brothers) in France there exists a painting of what looks like a shaman being possessed by a stag, dating to around 13,000BCE.

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The Sorcerer

The Dionysian Cults
In due time, another cult in Southern Europe began to grow and spread throughout the known world (at that time). The following was inspired by the God Dionysos: God of Wine, Ecstasy, Madness, Liberation, Shapeshifting, Dance, and Theater.

In ancient Greek theater, actors would practice to transcend their own egos and actually method act in order to make their performances real. Their ability to enter into a state of “non-being,” with the aid of ritual masks, would enchant the audience and bring their emotions into a heightened state of madness. Because of the liberation of the spirit during these events, Dionysos was known as Eleuthereos: The Liberator. His spirit moved through the dances, words, and behaviors of the thespians, directing their energy to the audience.

Permission
In covering the state of spirit possession from the Sorcerer and the early Dionysian cults, there is one thing which remains fact based on my experiences: permission. You must be open and allow a spirit to take you over: to speak and act through you. Even when evil spirits possess a Christian, they are told that they must give that evil spirit “the license to depart.”

Permissive possession is very powerful. You enter into an agreement with the spirit to allow it to experience what we humans are involved with. I have found that some spirits yearn to know our world in all of its senses, just as seek them out to find something Other about ourselves and the illumination of knowledge they can grant.

Lady Sybil
My Craft moniker, Oracle, is that word for a reason. That’s what I am. In the beginning of my calling to be into spirit possession, it didn’t end well. I was immature and no one around me had ever encountered anything like it. I invoked Lady Sybil, the oracle of the past. It was an amazing experience, and I’ll never forget it. But in my naivety I did not turn off the license, and she remained with me for quite some time. I was getting sick, and experiencing strange symptoms such as claw marks on my back, fatigue, confusion, and headaches. In a ceremony with my chosen family, I gave up the license and she was exorcised.

Years later, I wanted to do it again. I knew this was part and parcel of my calling. I dedicated myself to Hekate as her priest, and with her aid, I was prepared to undergo this task. She reaffirmed my name as Oracle, and told me in no uncertain terms that this would be my name moving forward, no matter where I went. So, I slowly began preparations to invoke the Sybil. Hekate stopped me, however, and said that SHE would be the one to possess me. We made a contract: serve as her oracle, and she would watch over me.

I expanded to another deity one night during a dark moon ritual when Hekate introduced Dionysos into the mix. I never aspected him nor devoted myself to him as a priest (I have yet to do this and I have zero idea as to why I am held back from making this move). But, I found myself willingly possessed by the God. It is beautiful, liberating, and dangerous. He is known as the Render of Men among other names. Surely I thought at some point I would lose myself. But instead I have found him helpful when working on me, as he is very much the God of Madness and the mentally ill.

Soon others followed: Apollo, Pan, and Aphrodite.

It was enormously wonderful that I was privileged to host these beings. As a reward, not too long ago I elicited the aid of Lady Sybil again. But Hekate said something interesting: Lady Sybil would be my guide when being possessed. She would watch over me, and assist me in these endeavors.

Oracle
I say this many times: I am not a psychic, but an oracle. The two are different. A psychic is someone with the skill set to learn fortune telling by different methods (e.g. tarot, playing cards, I-Ching, palmistry, etc.) as well as being able to learn psychometry, telepathy, and energy work at will. An oracle does not do any of these things. They may be skilled in some areas, but their main focus is on possession to speak forth prophecy, healing, and to prophesy on immediate future events.

I’ve discovered the differences slowly but surely. It is part and parcel of being an iatromantis (“physician-seer’) and Dream Walker. But again, that only happens when the Gods want to me to see something specific. Other than that, I am blank. I use Tarot, for example, for self-development, spells, rituals, and astral travel. I don’t necessarily use them for divination.

Conclusion
Spirit possession occurs because one allows it to occur. The Gods and spirits take over, and often spectacular feats are performed to prove that the ecstasy happening is from the God and not the human. Many will insert nails and bamboo sticks; drink tons of liquor without getting drunk; stand still for hours without pain; walk over broken glass and not bleed. Or, in my case, I am able to drink heavily when in Dionysian mode and not come out drunk at all. Or eat hot ashes without burning my tongue. Healings also occur, and renewal of strength and purpose. I believe that these actions help us to touch the Divine, and the Divine touch us. They get to experience the flesh and blood of a human, and we get to touch the Spirit. There is rarely anything more blissful than that kind of contact.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle