Ophic Strix

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

 

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.

unnamed (1)
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

 

The Afterlife

by Oracle Hekataios
Charon
Charon

Conceptualizing what happened to people once they had passed turned out to be a matter of debate (nothing has changed). In ancient Greece, there seems to have been a difference between what everyday people thought and what the literature mentioned. Poets had their own imaginations, yet it did spread to the populace. There were also hypotheses as to what awaited initiates into Mystery Traditions. What made it different? How was it envisioned? And what is taught by the Strix?

Shades of the Dead
In ancient Greece, the understanding of what happened with the dead was pretty much well established by about 8th – 6th centuries BCE. In the Odyssey, the poet Homer wrote of the dead wandering throughout the Underworld as shadows: gloomy and poor. It was not something to aspire too. It was so bad that when the spirit of Achilles was raised from the dead temporarily, he mentioned how he would rather be a slave than the king of the Underworld. 

The Dead weren’t creepy, scary, or evil. They were just sad. Their life in the Underworld depended on the constant memory of their descendants who were charged with maintaining their tombs and celebrating their milestones. Offerings such as cakes and wine were given to them. In this, the Dead continued to have hope, because the inevitable was oblivion.

Paradise and Tartarus
By about the 5th century BCE, the image of the Underworld was going about a change. Instead of just some gloomy place, there were levels. Socrates, the famed philosopher, was probably taught this by the witch and prophetess Diotima, who was his mentor. It passed to Plato who, in his “Gorgias” (a dialogue featuring Socrates), mentions it as a place where the wicked receive judgement.

Originally a place where the Titans who fought against Zeus and the Gods went after their defeat, it was this place of wickedness which has filled the imagination of many people. This imagery even passed into Christianity, where a section of Hell is known as Tartarus. The punishments towards the wicked fit the crimes they committed.

On the other spectrum, we have Paradise, also known as Elysium (or the Elysian Fields). It was said to be located in the West, and also called the Blessed Isles. Originally a place for demigods and Heroes, it was expanded in later imagery to those who lived out of Piety, performed heroic deeds, and/or were specifically chosen by the Gods. The Elysian Fields even made it to the New Testament as “Abraham’s Bosom,” also called “Paradise.”

The Mystery Traditions
The Mystery Traditions had a different account of the afterlife than those mentioned above. Initiation into the Mysteries guaranteed one a different afterlife. The Eleusinian Mysteries were believed by some to grant them a happy reunion. The Orphic Mysteries, on the other hand, promulgated the belief in reincarnation – more accurately metempsychosis, a form of reincarnation. What’s the difference? Metempsychosis refers to the spirit leaving the body at death and working its way through the Wheel of Fate in order to break the cycle and be one with the Divine. When a soul is reincarnated, they may choose to be human or animal. It is a choice devoid of karma, which is an Asian concept belonging to a specific religious practice. In the Orphic Mysteries when one passed, they were given instructions to follow a certain path and overcome obstacles. Orphic initiates were faced with a path that led to two springs: one named Lethe (Forgetfulness) and the other named Mnemosyne (Memory). They said a password to allow them to enter, and drink from the Well of Memory. From here they would reincarnate with their past life memories intact.

StrixCraft
In the StrixCraft as I teach it, the Ophic Strix initiates are promised deliverance from their former selves by Dionysos. It is Dionysos who intercedes on behalf of the initiate as they stand before Persephone. Claimed by Dionysos, the initiate will then walk upon the Starry Road to Memory, drink from the Moon Well, and continue to their next life. Once an initiate, always an initiate.

There is a Fourfold scheme to our bodies as we teach it:

  • The Physical Body
  • The Lunar Body
  • The Solar Body
  • The Starry Body

Our etheric anatomy is something I’ll touch on in another blog. For now, I would like to say that for us as Strix, our multiple bodies each have a destination. The physical body returns to Ge, from whose energy we borrowed to live. We now return that energy back to Earth Mother.

The Lunar Body remains attached to the physical body. Upon death, there is a separation between the two, and the Lunar Body is the active principle which either remains intact because of Memory, or may dissolve and return to the Earth Mother if nothing is there to keep it alive and fed.

The Solar Body, upon death, separates from the Lunar Body and reincarnates along family lines. In the form of a bird the Solar Body reaches the Sun and travels the road to the Underworld where it will meet Persephone. This is the entity which interacts with other beings and carries emotions, intelligence, and awareness.

The Starry Body, upon death, is the ruling God-Self which guides the Solar Body to remember the initiations and past life deeds. The Starry Body carries the “True Name” imprinted with the Solar Body that will allow the chain of initiations to continue throughout the rest of that individual’s lives. The Starry Body is the Higher Self which connects us to the Gods and the Cosmos. One day the Starry Body will become a part of Nyx, carrying our memories to her.

Conclusion
The Underworld’s geography often changed depending on the time period and the knowledge acquired by those who returned from the dead in near-death experiences. I believe that the concept of the Underworld came about because our ancestors felt there must be somewhere that we travel to while we sleep. Dreams are portals to other realities, and it may have seemed that while we were sleeping, another part of us was awake. That’s just my belief though. My hypothesis.

The revelation of the different bodies and their destinations in StrixCraft as I teach it is pulled from contemplation and communing with the spirits. They may not be orthodox insofar as Hellenic Reconstructionism is concerned, but they make sense for us and our initiates. We look forward to our lives continuing, and allowing Nyx to use us so she may know herself even better.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

 

 

The 6 Steps of Our Arrangements with Gods

by Oracle Hekataios

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There are times when we, or rather I, do not feel the presence of the Gods or spirits. There is a quiet emptiness which pervades the entire atmosphere of my existence. I feel as though I have plateaued in my spiritual journey. Have you ever felt like that?

Observing human nature and the tangled web of relationships, I have noticed there tends to be certain steps we are inclined to all take. Mind you, this is a generalization, not a scientific study. It’s just my observations. Yours will vary.

Step 1: Connection
The first step is connection. It’s not easy, and oftentimes just because one party feels that bond towards someone, it doesn’t mean that the other one feels the exact same way. When it comes to Neopaganism, Polytheism, and Witchcraft in general, I get the sensation that newbies (and this even happens with long timers) want to experience this entire open avenue of the Gods. They want to connect with something, or Someone. So they go looking for who might be the most interesting towards their endeavors. Is it Hekate? Apollon? Athena? Brighid? Pan? Lugh? The list goes on and on. Connection can be precarious, because if we are not careful in our approach, we may miss the mark on who is really trying to contact us.

I encourage folks to look at their main activities and seek out who may be their patron (matron is applicable to humans, not deities). For example, are you a mechanic or someone who works with welding? Hephaestus, Brighid, or Goibniu might do. Are you a student in the arts? Athena, the Muses, Dionysos, Isis, Hathor, Bast, or even Bragi are choices. The medical field? Apollon, Asklepios, Airmid, Dian Cecht, Isis, and Sekhmet are also possibilities.

Be that as it may, sometimes even a seeming connection you want with a certain deity won’t happen. Your prayers may feel hollow. You may get a gut instinct that something is blocking you from engaging with that deity. You won’t get any affirmations or dreams (which are tricky to begin with so don’t always rely on them). The solution? Usually seeking out a skilled diviner can help guide you a certain way. But once a connection is made, now we move on to the next step of the process.

Step 2: Enthusiasm
The honey moon phase. The time when we are excited to research our deity. We set up an altar or shrine. We look eagerly for icons and want to tell the world about the goodness of our deities. You make up your own prayers and/or use pre-written ones. You give offerings weekly…daily even. There is much to learn and you want to connect with others of like mind to share your excitement. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Everyone deserves to feel loved, affirmed, and bonded with a higher power, if they believe it that is.

NOTE: There is nothing wrong with agnosticism or atheism. We all have our own journey.

Step 3: Dedication
This may or may not happen around Enthusiasm time. Usually it will blend, but not always. Dedicating yourself to the worship and work of a deity or spirit comes with responsibilities. In the human parallel, we decide to get to know our partner(s) and affirm our desires and listen to theirs. Still, you may live separately. Each one’s annoyances and clashes may be at a minimum. Things may not bother you as much. Dedicating yourself to a deity, to become their priest/ess, is fraught with danger. It is a major step, like you making the decision to move in with your partner(s). Now you’ve done it. It’s there. You are a partner. It’s real.

Step 4: Separation
I use the term “Separation” not just in the physical sense, but also the metaphysical. You may feel like there is a plateau: stable, but perhaps the little things are beginning to get to you and one another. In the human analogy, corporate stress between you two may lead to further disagreements. Growing anger may come between you two (or more), and it is up to each of you to make the step in reconciling. How does this translate to your growing relationship with a deity? Simple. At this stage, whether or not you have made a formal dedication to serve your deity or spirit, you get into a lot of problems. You’ll feel lost for a moment. You try to make offerings and prayers, but the words seem empty. You’re going through a lot of trials and tribulations. You feel this may be a test from your deity or spirit, and you begin to be afraid: will you fail and the deity will leave you? You’re having nightmares possibly. Your anxiety and depression come back. In short, the Enthusiasm is gone. You fear your spirituality was just a farce. A phase.

Step 5: Plateau 
This will probably blend in with Separation, but for simplicity’s sake, I categorize it separately. Plateauing takes place when our sadness turns inward at ourselves. Our altars or shrines begin to collect dust, or they are removed entirely. We become bored. Bored with life. And then the worst part can sneak in…apathy. We’re just tired. Why continue our worship and work when nothing is happening? There are no positive changes in our life? It’s just not worth it, we think. In addition, life is giving us enough issues and we don’t have the time to dedicate to them as much as we want. It just sounds even more exhausting. Whether we realize it or not, this is the part where we have to understand that when we are going through issues, their presence may be overwhelming. That’s right: the emotional thrill of the Gods’ presence may in fact be too dominating, and may turn our attention away from the work that needs to be done in our life towards seclusion. Our Gods are usually not ones to force seclusion or an ascetic lifestyle (certain ones may vary). We live. We breathe. We work. We survive. That is our lot. It isn’t a test. It’s life. We have to know how we are going to deal with these issues. Feeling an emotional and mental connection is great, but we can’t stay there. We have to know that we are not alone in our endeavors.

Step 6: Commitment
When we realize that life must go on, we then become more mature in how we deal with our religious obligations to the Gods and spirits while balancing life’s challenges. This leads to Commitment. Commitment is when we should now decide if we are going to be a priest/ess or a simple devotee. We shouldn’t make decisions when Enthusiasm is the predominating force in our lives. Like human marriage relationships in which there is a mature, mutual agreement to be committed to one another no matter the cost, that is the level of maturity we should explore. Ancient and modern folks, unless they were part of an established priesthood which was funded by the State (a different blog for another time), don’t always have time for private devotions lasting an hour or so. We have to rectify that. Gods and spirits tend to understand this situation way more than we care to admit. Some don’t, and that’s when we can let them know what the situation is and that’s that. Don’t be afraid to talk to your Gods or spirits. Despite what I have written, oftentimes we have to let them know that we are living a life, and they may need to back off from further responsibilities (which, ironically, may be the ones we put on ourselves in Enthusiasm stage).

Lesson: Be careful with your words.

Conclusion
These 6 steps may not always be perfectly separated, and may even bleed into one another. Nonetheless, it is important to examine our motives, our responsibilities, and our growth. It may take some time. Maybe months. Maybe years. Possibly decades. But these steps are pretty near-universal when it comes to our worship and our work. When we make do, we realize in the end that we aren’t abandoned by the Gods, but we are walking with them still, just on a different plane. We are never alone. We have moments of bliss, and others of boredom. But they are there. And our journey will only enlighten us further.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

The Sacred Marriage of Zeus and Demeter

by Oracle Hekataios

demeter_and_zeus_sketch_by_mybonsaipatroclo_d4m1ddc-fullview

There seems to be an air of potent sexual symbolism during the late part of April and the early part of May. This energy was manifested in certain ways across a few European cultures, but the one which is celebrated in StrixCraft as I teach it is based on a unique observation of our climate here in Florida.

Beltainne
In the beginning of May, many Neopagans and Witches celebrate the holiday known as Beltainne. Beltainne is a Gaelic fire festival and considered one of the Greater Sabbats in Wicca. The festival is also known as Cetshamhain, or “Summer’s Beginning,” the opposite of Samhain which is “Summer’s End.” As a fire festival, bonfires were lit across the countryside, offerings were left for the Good Neighbors, people and cattle walked between the flames (and jumped over them), and house fires were doused, ready to be lit by the bonfires. Yellow flowers – the color of the Sun – would decorate homes.

Beltainne is enjoyable with activities such as the ones mentioned above. However, it is the erection of the Maypole (double entendre purposefully made) which is the highlight of the festivities. There is a lot of potent sexual symbolism during this time. The Maypole being the penis and the hole that was dug to insert it in being the vagina.

Floralia
Another festival celebrated during this time was the Roman Floralia, held in honor of the Goddess Flora. In her sacred grove sacrifices were made. Due to the sexual symbolism also held during this time, sex workers were part of the festivities, along with wine drinking. While usually seen as outcasts in ancient Rome, their participation during the Floralia marked them as special guests free of harassment.

Along with Flora, the nymph named Maia was also worshiped. Maia is a Greek spirit who is a daughter of Atlas and one of the seven Pleiades. When her worship transferred to Rome, she was acknowledged as an aspect of the Great Goddess. She was said to promote growth, and her nymph status connected her to the dead. In fact, a group of Lares (ancestral spirits) were also celebrated on the first of May (the month named after the nymph).

The Sacred Marriage
In Florida, we have a subtropical climate. In the Summer begins the Wet Season; I call it the Green Time. Due to StrixCraft’s Greek roots, I observed the seasonal cycles and, during my worship one day, the lightning flashed in the afternoon followed by heavy rains. I knew instinctively that the God Zeus as the storm bearer over the land was making sensual love to Demeter, the Yellow Earth Mother. In the teachings I pass, the Earth Mother has three separate manifestations: Green, Black, and Yellow. The Green Mother is Gaia, the Black Mother is Rhea, and the Yellow Mother is Demeter.

The question comes as to why the Yellow Mother rather than the Green Mother? Simple. Demeter’s place in our myths is that the colors yellow are sacred to her, along with the symbol of agriculture (maize and wheat), as well as the specific function of fertility. With the union of Zeus and Demeter in our lands, the potential for fertility is there, and takes place.  Gaia is the wild Green Mother who can grow out of season. Certain plants in our climate will grow no matter when. But the fertility for harvest time is Demeter’s role.

The Children of the Earth and Storm
Persephone is the child of Zeus and Demeter. As such, her Underworld associations are potent during the Summer here in Florida. How? Persephone is not viewed as Kore/Persephone of the seasons in the myths as we learn in our StrixCraft. She WAS a Kore, but now she reigns eternal as Persephone: in her own power and glory she rules alongside Hades. As the Queen, she provides the necessary telluric (earth) energies that help break the seeds and send forth the roots. Demeter from above, Persephone from below. This symbolism is also in Wicca:

By seed and by root, by bud and by stem, by leaf and flower and fruit…

Here we see the interactions of the energies produced by the Two Goddesses as I interpret it via a Strix lens. This gives our festival a completely different paradigm. Not just a polarity construct, the Sacred Marriage of Zeus and Demeter involves the Underworld along with the birth of nymphai who pervade the clouds, the storms, and the land. The Dead, led by Persephone, can arise and bathe in the ecstatic life of lightning and earth. Communing with them is easier during certain times of the year, and the Sacred Marriage is one of them. Other hallowed times are the Anthesteria, the Feast of the Dead, and the sacred festivals of Hekate in November.

Celebrations in the World
While this was an observation I have made for Florida, there is no reason why similar observations cannot be done in other climates. Just observe and see which Gods and spirits are active during this time. The Gods are flexible that way. Polytheism is flexible this way. For example, the wet season in the Mediterranean is in the Winter, so Zeus and Demeter would be active during this time rather than the dry Summer (I believe California also has a Mediterranean climate).

In other climates the addition of Helios (the Sun God) would be a perfect. Again, this is based on your observations of the natural world. One of the necessary reading materials I encourage some students to read are books which discuss their local weather patterns instead of Magic. Magic is an inherent part of the natural world I feel. Therefore, to know the tides of Magic means knowing your local area’s patterns and climate which will grant you the opportunity to know your local spirits.

The Spirits of the Season
All in all, the Sacred Marriage is more than just the union of Storm and Land. It is about awakening the spirits around you. It is about contact with the Other, and using the portals of Storm and Land to broaden your experiences. The Gods and the spirits exist simultaneously. They are all part of the Divine. Touch one and the other will also be contacted. Remember, it is more than just the Gods. The daimons (spirits) of our world also deserve our attention.

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

Death and Darkness

by Oracle Hekataios

Darkness

April 7th. I’ll never forget that date moving forward.

It was the day I found my dad dead in his apartment.

My father had a smartphone that he didn’t know how to work very well. Sometimes he would accidentally shut it off, or put it on airplane mode. I called over the weekend, as I was busy doing his laundry. My sister and I got in the car and drove to his place. I received a phone call from his nurse for home health aid that they weren’t able to reach him. They were there on Monday and no one could get in contact with him.

Arriving at his place, I knocked on the door and there was no answer. I figured he must be in the restroom. I went to the office to get a key and open the door. Maybe he was sick again? He had just come out of rehab (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy). A few weeks earlier, he was in the hospital because he had a stoke which led to a seizure. They started him on a new blood thinner and seizure medication.

I opened the door.

That is when the smell hit me.

I was in shock. He was on the floor in his room passed out. But when I went into the room, it was too late: my father was dead and his body must have been there for a couple of days. I panicked. I cried. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I called 911, but again, it was too late. They were sending out police officers. I didn’t even have adequate time to grieve. I had to be stoic and in my right mind as best as I was able so I could speak with the officers. I called my brother and my mother to tell them the shocking news. I won’t bore you with the rest of the details. But, that’s when I confronted death and darkness.

Days later, I contemplated and spoke with my High Priest in the Alexandrian Tradition, along with my Minos (High Priest) in the Minoan Brotherhood. I spoke separately with them. I noticed, looking through our Witchcraft and Trad Wiccan liturgy, that there was nothing on how to deal with death and darkness. Sure, requiem ceremonies could be used. But my question was HOW to deal with death and darkness. So, I turned to the philosophies of both StrixCraft as well as liturgy from the Trad Witch and Trad Wiccan BoS’s. What was missing, I wanted to add to our grove and coven’s work. So, I turned to one of our sacred liturgies: the Charge of the Goddess.

The Charge of the Goddess

In the Charge, there are several lines that seem to work with how death deals:

I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold I am the Mother of All Living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.

I turned to the Goddess, specifically, the Goddesses Hekate and Persephone. Both are Underworld deities with a host of daimons (spirits) that follow them. In the Charge of the Goddess, she speaks about what is beyond death; namely, peace, freedom, and reunion. it comforted me to some extent. But again, the grief was too much. I was having nightmares and flashbacks to what I found. Just HOW do I grieve. HOW do I deal with the PTSD?

Nyx: First Mother

I then turned my awareness to my own teachings in the Ophic Strix Trad. There are steps in how to deal with that kind of suffering. Let me explain. In my mythology, there was First Mother, whom we call Nyx (“Night”), also known as the Star Goddess (a title also used in the liturgy of the Charge). Nyx felt empty within. Lonely. She searched the entire Cosmos for one like her. Finally, she came upon the curved black mirror of Space. When she saw herself in all of her glory, she fell in love and lust with what she had seen: herself. She fell in love with what she was seeing, and immediately began to masturbate. At the explosion of orgasm, the two first beings came out in sexual embrace:

Eros and Thanatos. The Sacred Twins.

Now two males, then two females, then one or the other: eroticism birthed the Cosmos. It is an essential component of who we are as people, as animals. It is the pull of the song of Eros – playing with his flute (no pun intended) – which draws things together. It is the blade of Thanatos that causes separation.

Having discovered herself in all of her glory, the image before her now was shattered. Pieces of Nyx began to move, like nebulas, in which Nyx changed herself to become the very creative force that she birthed. She was searching for herself again. The theme of evolution is her love story. She would know herself in all of her being. Again. In an effort to do that, she began to birth and create all of what she knew. So, in essence, the evolution of bacteria, beings on other worlds, us, Nature, plants, galaxies, etc are all of Nyx attempting to know herself again. Once she does, the Cosmos will fold in upon itself, and it was begin again.

Polishing the Sacred Mirror

Inspired by this myth, I realized that the heart is our mirror. Not the physical heart, but the spiritual heart. The seat of emotions, the anchor to our energy bodies, and the center of our entire being. The heart is the key to one of the most powerful shadow working experiences that we can do: polishing it and bringing back the pieces which were shattered.

Trauma causes our heart to be shattered. Our pieces break off and may go into the ether. The only way to heal the shattered heart is to confront out darkness and spend time in healing techniques to bring back the pieces which are lost. In a sense, this is similar to “shamanic” soul retrievals. The ancient Greeks had something similar in a technique known as incubation, who’s purpose is to seek out the healing Gods Asklepios and Apollon to give the patient inspiration in dream work so that they may discover the key to their healing. The “shamans” were known as physician-seers, or an iatromanis.

Their main goal was to help patients come to know themselves via dream work and the silence of incubation. Unlike some shamanic techniques which encourage drumming and loud chanting, incubation was done in silence. It would begin with a purification bath and then lead to a sleeping chamber. Herbs would help with the cleansing bath, along with sacred drinks to help purge the body.

In an effort to help bring pieces together, this procedure was focused intently on healing the whole being: body, mind, spirit, environmental, and character-wise. Likewise, I interpret it that the key to holistic healing was to heal the shattered heart. That being said, shattered pieces often did not return or can be retrieved. Reasons vary. So, the heart would need to formulate new pieces which would match with the shattered pieces, and a new heart would be born. This is what is meant to polish the sacred mirror: return to love and First Mother, whose inspiration to know herself in all of her being was utilized on the microcosm. 

Darkness and the Shadow

Healing is never simple. In fact, in and of itself can be traumatic. Healing challenges us to confront the darkness within, what some call the Shadow. The Shadow, that alter-ego which encompasses the negativity and trauma that has shattered our hearts, is a very real presence we all carry. Some people feel that as long as we suppress those behaviors and feelings, we are doing a great job. Others try not to embrace the Shadow, instead encouraging a positive outlook. Finally, the Shadow is viewed as the enemy; something “demonic” and an entity that will pull us down, and so exorcisms to banish the Shadow (which you can’t do) are done. Like an active volcano that has enough pressure within it before a powerful explosion, these teachings do not help. Instead, they try and keep the Shadow buried, something that will only lead to a very difficult and strenuous path that results in psychotic breaks.

Nyx is darkness. In witchcraft, darkness and shadow are holy. There is nothing unorthodox about working with our dark alter-ego in order to find fulfillment. In fact. death itself is holy. It is Nature. It is evolution. It is the love story of Nyx attempting to find herself. Dark matter encompasses 85% of the Cosmos, and dark energy is a repulsive, causing things to scatter away from each other. These are natural. It is natural to work with your alter-ego. It is natural to be afraid, to be grieving and feel alone. It is natural to be in the dark for some time. Like wounded animals which seek to hide and incubate for some time until they are healed, we as humans must be able to also know when it is time to step away from the chaos and noise to focus on ourselves in order to be whole again. You can ask for help. You can ask for boundaries and patience. All that you do is sacred. Remember that.

My own Shadow

So, after everything, just how do I feel? Simple. I am angry. I feel it is unfair that I lost my dad and yet others still have theirs. Yes, I realize I make no sense. Logic is gone. I am pure emotion. But, I am also in a sacred place. Death is an inevitable part of life. He is dead. My father preferred the term “phased.” He has phased to another existence. The Goddess teaches us to know how to light our torches in the darkest of times. Hekate is a Torch Bearer, someone who walks with us in the shade, holding aloft her torches which light the way. I follow her willingly. These are tough times, and it will take time and patience (two words I hate). However, it is all part of the process: polishing the sacred mirror of our hearts, embracing our Shadow, and moving forward to help us adapt so that Nyx as us can rediscover her own truth. I remind you now with a saying for the Goddess Hekate: En Erebos Phos! (In Darkness, Light!).

Eirene kai Hugieia!
(Peace and Health!)
Oracle

 

 

 

Maintaining Memory

by Oracle Hekataios
Ancestral Altar
                               Ancestral Altar

If my family got together and spoke to me once a year and walked away thinking I’m all better for it, they better think again. How do your ancestors feel? Samhain/Shadowfest/Feast of the Dead shouldn’t be the only time we commune with our beloved Dead. They have a right to commune with you, to be fed and honored.
Honor your past so that your present has meaning and your future is blessed.

It’s That Time of Year
This time of year is interesting in the NeoPagan world, because many of the people and groups influenced by Traditional Craft and are DIY Wiccans honor their ancestors on Samhain. By the by, DIY Wiccans is now my term of preference rather than “eclectic Pagans” and “NeoWiccans.” Feel free to use it. Anyway, Samhain is an important part of the NeoPagan Wheel of the Year. If you pick up any 101 book, it’s a night of sorrow and joy to feast with the departed. Many will even state that it’s a wonderful night to divine, and mediumship is popular. Black robes, lit candles, and processional chants with shrines hallowed for passed loved ones (including animals) are the highlight of the festivities. Some folks incorporate what’s known as a “Dumb Supper,” a silent meal shared by the community in honor of the beloved dead.

My quote above is not to go against the Wheel of the Year and be disrespectful towards this sacred day or the people who celebrate it. It is special and very important because it connects the community with the realization of Memory. But if the dead are so powerful and existent, why not continue to celebrate them beyond Samhain/Shadowfest/Feast of the Dead? They subsist as you and I do, but in a different reality than what many of us are used to. In this blog I won’t go into hauntings and my personal take on them. I don’t want to lose the focus here, which is that many modern communities, for the most part, have severed themselves from the living well of Memory. To many the dead aren’t as interactive and alive, or if they are they are not fed to maintain their egregore with the family unit.

The Wellspring of Memory
An abundant stream of consciousness that finds its source in the Underworld cauldron of wells and trees, the Wellspring of Memory is the most powerful contact that a people have with their lineage. It is something within our very DNA that births and links generations upon generations with their past, so that they might carry on the continued work of their ancestors. We honor the past by being alive, by overcoming the odds and becoming more than what we are on a daily basis. Each time we grow into self actualization, we are culminating into the peak of what our ancestors have fought and conquered so much for. Memory is a living fabric connected to the strings of Ananke, of Fate: a golden thread which connects all people. But in a family unit, a specific clan within a tribe within a nation, the clan is banded together with their own stories and songs which may be similar or different than the tribe and nation they belong to. And these stories and songs of the ancestors were passed down to succeeding generations at one time. People were proud of their heritage, and some still are. My own family is just discovering our lineage through mementos and photographs. We are informing one another, thanks to my mom who set the whole thing up, about our family histories. Knowing these informs me of my own spiritual practices. Why? Because I believe that blood and bone never die.

The Body of Memory
The immense information held deep within the blood and bones of who we are, the Body of Memory is the vessel that is evidence of the past succeeding into the present. It is the caricature of triumph held within our very flesh. Like I said above, if my family all spoke with me once a year and thought that was okay, they better think again. Many of us hate to be disconnected and feel alone. Loneliness is the requiem of companionship, and humans are nothing if not social creatures. We evolved that way. It’s how we’ve been able to thrive for hundreds of millennia. It’s not enough to know you meet someone and you have similar tastes in music, art, films, drinks, food, etc. It’s not enough to simply have a family or even friends around us, because loneliness is a disassociation of the soul: the soul has forgotten why the connection to the living exists in the first place. It has forgotten the message of Memory, the stream of consciousness connected to Ananke that underlies all of us. There is no clan, no Mythos, no tribe, no rites of passage to pass on the past to the present and give us hope for the future. We have forgotten that our bodies are a living testimony.

The Shrine of Memory
As the living are lonely, so are the dead. They aren’t frightening, just sad. Many folks have a shelf or several in their homes that has photos of the their departed loved ones. They frequently look at them and smile, saying, “Happy birthday dad” or “I miss you brother.” Today lots of folks also have Facebook pages up to memorialize the deceased. This is commendable, because it demonstrates that within our very being we are desiring to acknowledge that our bodies are the central whirlpools of energy within the stream of Memory: in other words, we are desperate to remember and keep something alive within us. The only way to be truly alive is to maintain the shrine of Memory. A shrine is a shelf or flat surface that acts as a house. This “house” has photographs and mementos of the beloved dead. Candles may be lit and offering bowls may be present. This shrine is the external manifestation of the internal stream. This is the central point that our inner energies are connected to. The building and maintaining of a shrine to the dead is not only ancient, but it is where we actually weave the strings of Memory and Ananke to tie us always to the spirits. We establish the foundation for an egregore. After that, it is up to us to continue to remember the dead not just by being alive, but by helping them to not be lonely. We need to acknowledge them all of the time. We need to feed them, care for them, and speak with them. They are desperate to speak and help us. Many, myself included, are learning or have learned to ask them for assistance rather than a Deity because the ancestors are closer to us. In my temple, we honor the dead before we call on the Gods, because it was our ancestors who taught us the stories of the people. They revealed the spirits and Gods. They contacted the Old Ones and shared these so that we might be able to have an identity and be a part of something greater than ourselves: to bring honor to them. Honoring ourselves is honoring them.

Ophic Strix Creation Mythos: Nyx

by Oracle Hekataios
"Woman Between the Stars" by Corila Chirila
“Woman Between the Stars” by Corila Chirila

She awoke, alone and unsure, in the vast void which cloaked Hir flesh. The Night Mother yawned within the gaping void and began singing a mournful song of loneliness and abandonment. And it is why to this day the people feel pain when in the dark and alone within.

She traveled until at last She could no further and came to the very edge of the Cosmos. Watching the mirror of pristine wonder, She suddenly saw Hirself in all of Her glory! Straightaway She was taken with craving and began to masturbate in pleasure at the fullness of what She was seeing. This was the First Gnosis and First Desire. At the burst of Hir orgasm emerged the billions of stars and rocks which swirled about the body of the Mother. Hir momentary brush with Death (the First Death) in orgasm gave birth to Eros and Thanatos: the sacred twins of the First Mother, the genesis of linked souls: male, female and neither.

At once the potential of life had burst forth from joy and pleasure, sex unhinged. And it is why to this day the people experience transcendent ecstasy when reaching orgasm: the twins meet again. In lust She craved to know Hirself once more, and immediately metamorphosed and surrendered Hir nature to the impulses of yearning love. It is why to this day when people feel the stirrings of painful love and longing, often their nature is surrendered to obtain that which they desperately desire.

Thus the suns, gravity, light, speed, sounds, music, sacred harmony and planets with life were made. Life forms evolved; the dance of Eros and Thanatos for survival within the peoples brought joy, suffering, hope, healing and pain. Grief, anger, and other spirits were made.

All this is so the Great Night Mother would know Hirself. She desires nothing more. And when that time comes for our own world when She is satisfied, She will retake the body of the Earth Mother and all Her siblings, and they will return to the bosom of Nyx, where all souls become part of a Greater Cycle still to come, and the threads of Ananke never tear us apart.

Eirene kai Hugieia!

(Peace and Health!)

~Oracle~