Tag: incense

Hekate Devotion: Autumn Equinox

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The Autumnal Equinox is the second harvest festival in the Southern Hemisphere calendar which is a vernal equinox meaning the hours of the day and night are approximately the same length. This year it falls on the March 22nd 2026 at 11.46pm astrologically. Gods such as Pamona, the Green Man, Bachus, Dionysus, Artemis, Carpo, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate can all be honoured during this time of year.

My mother was a wildcrafter and I have very distinct memories of her taking me foraging during this time of year. We would forage for various herbs, plants, nuts and flowers.  The area I grew up in was surrounded by farmland and so there was a plethora of nature’s gifts to be found and used.  On occasion we would also take day trips to forage seasonally. 

I like to take long walks and see the changing of the leaves (yes I am one of those people) and I do this locally as well as around my beautiful state. I also go out foraging during this time of year and I have engaged in various foraging expeditions and would recommend the following books for those living in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) to assist you as you need to be VERY careful with what you collect and use (and if in doubt leave it be and don’t risk poisoning yourself):

  • The Weed Forager’s Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser Rowland.
  • Wild Food Plants of Australia Paperback by Tim Low.

I feel that Demeter resonates with this time of the year.  This is the time when Demeter withdraws her creative powers from the earth as Persephone descends into the underworld. I also feel that Hekate also resonates with this time of year especially since its a liminal time – a day of equal day and night and Hekate’s ability to dwell within those times.

I personally like to honour Demeter as well as Hekate during this time and make offerings of wine, grapes, bread, grains: corn, oats and barley, nuts, acorns, apples, pomegranates, onions, poppies, mushrooms, dandelions, nettles, marrow, chickweed, black berries, oak leaves, vine leaves and herbal teas.

I also like to cook with seasonal foods and for Hekate and Demeter I like to bake and offer Cheese Garlic and Thyme Bread , Garlic and Saffron Risotto  (I substitute the rice for barley and the butter for Nuttlex) and Apple Tea Cake (I substitute milk with soy/almond/oat milk and butter with Nuttlex).

Some things you can do yourself to honour and mark the Autumn Equinox can be:

  1. Rituals and spells involving balance within or outside of yourself such as removing an addiction and replacing it with a healthy lifestyle change.

  2. Rituals and spells involving mourning something lost – to be able to better accept this loss.

  3. Honouring the dual nature of life and accepting its beauty.  This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.

  4. Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.

  5. Cleanse and purify your home and garden.

  6. Gardening such as blessing and sowing autumnal seeds specific to your region and/or fertilising and turning the earth.

  7. Go foraging with friends (ensuring you are very careful and don’t collect anything poisonous or which has been sprayed with chemicals) or alternatively book a local guided wild forager tour (such as mushroom or herbs/plants) or go apple picking at a local orchard.

  8. Like Demeter go for a wander – take a long walk in the woods or somewhere where you feel close to the gods and spirits of your local land.

As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making abundance pouches which I fill with various items which symbolises abundance to me, along with cleansing washes, blessing oils, and seasonal God/dess incense.

I would like to share with you a Hekate Incense I came up with which I love and resonates with this time of year and which I urge you to try your hand at making:

Hekate’s Autumnal Incense by Setjtaset

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Apple Peel

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Pomegranate Peel

1 Part Pine Resin

1-3 Sprinkle of Cinnamon (or crushed cinnamon stick).

Since I love to perform rituals to honour Hekate, I like to mark the date with a ritual in her name.  Here is a hymn I wrote to Demeter and Hekate for my devotional rites which I would also like to share with you:

Autumnal Hymn to Demeter and Hekate by Setjataset

“Great Goddess Demeter

I thank you for your bounty

You who separates the chaff from the grain

I pray to you so that my life be full of boons

Madam of the Sacred Law

Encourage and protect me as I work its mysteries“

“Great Goddess Hekate

I thank you for your guidance

You who perceives the cycles of life and death

I pray to you so that my life be full of blessings

Madam of Magick

Encourage and protect me as I walk its path” 

So work your magick this equinox and engage in some activities which can bring you in closer connection to your Gods and the cycle of the earth.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021 Updated 2026

Hekate Devotion: Mabon/Autumn Equinox

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Mabon or the Autumnal Equinox is the second harvest festival in the Southern Hemisphere calendar which is a vernal equinox meaning the hours of the day and night are approximately the same length. This year it falls on the 20th of March at 1.06pm astrologically which also coincides with the traditional date. Mabon is named after the god of the same name in Welsh mythology but its a modern adaptation from the 1970’s.  Other gods such as Pamona, the Green Man, Bachus, Dionysus, Artemis, Carpo, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate can all be honoured during this time of year.

My mother was a wildcrafter and I have very distinct memories of her taking me foraging during this time of year. We would forage for various herbs, plants, nuts and flowers.  The area I grew up in was surrounded by farmland and so there was a plethora of nature’s gifts to be found and used.  On occasion we would also take day trips to forage seasonally. 

I like to take long walks and see the changing of the leaves (yes I am one of those people) and I do this locally as well as around my beautiful state. I also go out foraging during this time of year and I have engaged in various foraging expeditions and would recommend the following books for those living in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) to assist you as you need to be VERY careful with what you collect and use (and if in doubt leave it be and don’t risk poisoning yourself):

  • The Weed Forager’s Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser Rowland.
  • Wild Food Plants of Australia Paperback by Tim Low.

I feel that Demeter resonates with this time of the year.  This is the time when Demeter withdraws her creative powers from the earth as Persephone descends into the underworld. I also feel that Hekate also resonates with this time of year especially since its a liminal time – a day of equal day and night and Hekate’s ability to dwell within those times.

I personally like to honour Demeter as well as Hekate during this time and make offerings of wine, grapes, bread, grains: corn, oats and barley, nuts, acorns, apples, pomegranates, onions, poppies, mushrooms, dandelions, nettles, marrow, chickweed, black berries, oak leaves, vine leaves and herbal teas.

I also like to cook with seasonal foods and for Hekate and Demeter I like to bake and offer Cheese Garlic and Thyme Bread , Garlic and Saffron Risotto  (I substitute the rice for barley and the butter for Nuttlex) and Apple Tea Cake (I substitute milk with soy/almond/oat milk and butter with Nuttlex).

Some things you can do yourself to honour and mark the Mabon/Autumn Equinox can be:

  1. Rituals and spells involving balance within or outside of yourself such as removing an addiction and replacing it with a healthy lifestyle change.

  2. Rituals and spells involving mourning something lost – to be able to better accept this loss.

  3. Honouring the dual nature of life and accepting its beauty.  This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.

  4. Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.

  5. Cleanse and purify your home and garden.

  6. Gardening such as blessing and sowing autumnal seeds specific to your region and/or fertilising and turning the earth.

  7. Go foraging with friends (ensuring you are very careful and don’t collect anything poisonous or which has been sprayed with chemicals) or alternatively book a local guided wild forager tour (such as mushroom or herbs/plants) or go apple picking at a local orchard.

  8. Like Demeter go for a wander – take a long walk in the woods or somewhere where you feel close to the gods and spirits of your local land.

As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making abundance pouches which I fill with various items which symbolises abundance to me, along with cleansing washes, blessing oils, and seasonal God/dess incense.

I would like to share with you a Hekate Incense I came up with which I love and resonates with this time of year and which I urge you to try your hand at making:

Hekate’s Autumnal Incense by Setjtaset

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Apple Peel

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Pomegranate Peel

1 Part Pine Resin

1-3 Sprinkle of Cinnamon (or crushed cinnamon stick).

Since I love to perform rituals to honour Hekate, I like to mark the date with a ritual in her name.  Here is a hymn I wrote to Demeter and Hekate for my devotional rites which I would also like to share with you:

Autumnal Hymn to Demeter and Hekate by Setjataset

“Great Goddess Demeter

I thank you for your bounty

You who separates the chaff from the grain

I pray to you so that my life be full of boons

Madam of the Sacred Law

Encourage and protect me as I work its mysteries“

“Great Goddess Hekate

I thank you for your guidance

You who perceives the cycles of life and death

I pray to you so that my life be full of blessings

Madam of Magick

Encourage and protect me as I walk its path” 

So work your magick this equinox and engage in some activities which can bring you in closer connection to your Gods and the cycle of the earth.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021

Hekate Devotion: Mabon/Autumn Equinox

Posted in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Mabon or the Autumnal Equinox is the second harvest festival in the Southern Hemisphere calendar which is a vernal equinox meaning the hours of the day and night are approximately the same length. This year it falls on the 20th of March at 1.06pm. Mabon is named after the god of the same name in Welsh mythology but its a modern adaptation from the 1970’s.  Other gods such as Pamona, the Green Man, Bachus, Dionysus, Artemis, Carpo, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate can all be honoured during this time of year.

My mother was a wildcrafter and I have very distinct memories of her taking me foraging during this time of year. We would forage for various herbs, plants, nuts and flowers.  The area I grew up in was surrounded by farmland and so there was a plethora of nature’s gifts to be found and used.  On occasion we would also take day trips to forage seasonally. 

I like to take long walks and see the changing of the leaves (yes I am one of those people) and I do this locally as well as around my beautiful state. I also go out foraging during this time of year and I have engaged in various foraging expeditions and would recommend the following books for those living in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) to assist you as you need to be VERY careful with what you collect and use (and if in doubt leave it be and don’t risk poisoning yourself):

  • The Weed Forager’s Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser Rowland.
  • Wild Food Plants of Australia Paperback by Tim Low.

I feel that Demeter resonates with this time of the year.  This is the time when Demeter withdraws her creative powers from the earth as Persephone descends into the underworld. I also feel that Hekate also resonates with this time of year especially since its a liminal time – a day of equal day and night and Hekate’s ability to dwell within those times.

I personally like to honour Demeter as well as Hekate during this time and make offerings of wine, grapes, bread, grains: corn, oats and barley, nuts, acorns, apples, pomegranates, onions, poppies, mushrooms, dandelions, nettles, marrow, chickweed, black berries, oak leaves, vine leaves and herbal teas.

I also like to cook with seasonal foods and for Hekate and Demeter I like to bake and offer Cheese Garlic and Thyme Bread , Garlic and Saffron Risotto  (I substitute the rice for barley and the butter for Nuttlex) and Apple Tea Cake (I substitute milk with soy/almond/oat milk and butter with Nuttlex).

Some things you can do yourself to honour and mark the Mabon/Autumn Equinox can be:

  1. Rituals and spells involving balance within or outside of yourself such as removing an addiction and replacing it with a healthy lifestyle change.

  2. Rituals and spells involving mourning something lost – to be able to better accept this loss.

  3. Honouring the dual nature of life and accepting its beauty.  This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.

  4. Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.

  5. Cleanse and purify your home and garden.

  6. Gardening such as blessing and sowing autumnal seeds specific to your region and/or fertilising and turning the earth.

  7. Go foraging with friends (ensuring you are very careful and don’t collect anything poisonous or which has been sprayed with chemicals) or alternatively book a local guided wild forager tour (such as mushroom or herbs/plants) or go apple picking at a local orchard.

  8. Like Demeter go for a wander – take a long walk in the woods or somewhere where you feel close to the gods and spirits of your local land.

As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making abundance pouches which I fill with various items which symbolises abundance to me, along with cleansing washes, blessing oils, and seasonal God/dess incense.

I would like to share with you a Hekate Incense I came up with which I love and resonates with this time of year and which I urge you to try your hand at making:

Hekate’s Autumnal Incense by Setjtaset

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Apple Peel

1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Pomegranate Peel

1 Part Pine Resin

1-3 Sprinkle of Cinnamon (or crushed cinnamon stick).

Since I love to perform rituals to honour Hekate, I like to mark the date with a ritual in her name.  Here is a hymn I wrote to Demeter and Hekate for my devotional rites which I would also like to share with you:

Autumnal Hymn to Demeter and Hekate by Setjataset

“Great Goddess Demeter

I thank you for your bounty

You who separates the chaff from the grain

I pray to you so that my life be full of boons

Madam of the Sacred Law

Encourage and protect me as I work its mysteries“

“Great Goddess Hekate

I thank you for your guidance

You who perceives the cycles of life and death

I pray to you so that my life be full of blessings

Madam of Magick

Encourage and protect me as I walk its path” 

So work your magick this equinox and engage in some activities which can bring you in closer connection to your Gods and the cycle of the earth.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021

Mystic Tribe Magazine: July 2021, Issue #44

Posted in Articles, Blog, Crystals, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Kemetic, Lyceum of Heka, magazine, magic, pagan, Publications, The Sanctuary of Hekate's Crossroads, Vibrational Medicine, WitchcraftLeave a comment

In the latest issue of Mystic Tribe Magazine, I have written an article called “Wep Ronpet (Ancient Egyptian/Kemetic New Year)“ which describes what and when the Epagomenal Days and Wep Ronpet is and what you can do to honour the Gods . I have also shared a Wep Ronpet Rite I composed and use successfully which you can easily do yourself to celebrate the Kemetic New Year which is coming up. Get your FREE copy below:

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Mystic Tribe Magazine: June 2021, Issue #43

Posted in Articles, Blog, Crystals, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Kemetic, Lyceum of Heka, magazine, magic, pagan, Publications, The Sanctuary of Hekate's Crossroads, Vibrational Medicine, WitchcraftLeave a comment

In the latest issue of Mystic Tribe Magazine, I have written an article called “Ancient Egyptian Incense“ which describes the history and usage of incense in Ancient Egypt along with a recipe of how to make your own.   Get your your FREE copy below:

issue-43-mystic-tribe-magazine-june-2021-1Download

Plant Resins for Hekate

Posted in Hellenic, pagan, The Sanctuary of Hekate's Crossroads, Uncategorized, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

My first memory of scent is the scent of livani (aka mosholivano which is a greek incense made from frankincense and flowers/herbs) through the house which my mother would burn on a sunday to honour the blessed dead and/or ancestors as well as cleanse the house of malignant and negative forces.  It was a lesson in sensory magick and that it triggered a heightened state of spiritual connection.  Whenever I smelled that scent I felt the ancestors were near and that I was wrapped up in a blanket of protection.  These days the smell of livani connects me to my ancestors and Gods through the communion of scent due to burning it as a regular part of my magical and spiritual devotions.

Resins in Ancient Greece, specifically plant resins, were used in religious and ceremonial rites such as frankincense and myrrh as noted by Theophrastus and mastic as noted in the Hymns of Orpheus. Burning resins as an incense was seen as a way to communicate with Diety and feed them as well as acknowledging their presence through scent.  In Ancient Greece incense was burned not only to please Deity but as an accompaniment to rituals which were religious, civic and family-centric in nature.   They were also used in festivals of Ancient Greece to mark each phase of said festival, from procession to prayer to sacrifice.  Incense burners were seen as a staple in Ancient Greek sanctuaries and they burned resins for purification and as a pure offering.

Resins in modern practice like in ancient practice are burned as an incense using a censor or thirable on a shrine or altar.  Many modern Greeks burn it in their homes in an incense holder for their deceased relatives and Greek Orthodox churches burn thirables of incense at every ceremony.  When my father passed away according to Greek tradition I had to walk around the hearse carrying his coffin, three times with lit livani before it made its way to church.  All family members were gathered and watched, taking in the scent to purify his journey, as well as cleansing his last residence.

Many modern witches, magicians and reconstructurists also burn resins as part of their religious or magical practice whether it be in ceremony, ritual, spell work, meditation or as a way for them to trigger what they are seeking through the use of scent.

My last sojourn to Greece I stayed on the island of Chios which is known for their mastic resin from the Schinias region tree on the island’s south.  This resin which is hard crystallised drops is collected from trees in the summer in the Schinias region when they are hit with an iron tool.  This practice has been occurring for over 2500 years and continues to this day.  The resin is used in incense as well as medicines, cosmetics, embalming and cleaning products.  The whole island’s economy relies on this resin not only as a product, but as a tourist draw.   I remember buying a few boxes of mastic as gifts and a keep sake.  When I returned from my trip I chewed it (as it was the first gum in Ancient Greece) and also used it in my incense blends, as well as gifted it to a few family members and friends much to their delight.

Burning resins can promote feelings of centred calm, can engage and open the mind whilst assisting in connection to spirit and Deity during ritual, spiritual and meditative practices.

I like to make my own incense blends and predominately use resins which I either use on their own or mix with other resins, herbs, oils or flowers.  The act in itself of choosing the resins and using a mortar and pestle to crush the resins and then blend any additional ingredients, is very alchemical in its process for me and is a devotional act I employ regularly.  As someone who burns resins as part of my daily Hellenic practice as a devotee to Hekate, I have spent years experimenting to create the right blends for Her with Her various titles I venerate and for assorted purposes.

When blending resins for magical, ritual or spiritual use, I suggest you research and find those which resonate with you and your workings and devotionals.  I also suggest you burn them in a heatproof container such as a heat proof thirable, dish or cauldron and ensure there is adequate ventilation.

As stated above, burning resins is a huge part of my practice to Hekate and as such have created a list of resins I have found resonate with her workings which I have shared below:

Plant Resins for Hekate by *Setjataset

Amber

Balm of Gilead

Balsam

Benzoin

Black Storax

Camphor

Cedar

Copal

Dragon’s Blood

Eucalyptus

Fir

Frankincence

Livani

Mastic

Myrrh

Pine

Styrax

Please note certain resins can be harmful or toxic if ingested, inhaled or placed on skin.

As always please research and check all the resins you will be handling before working with them to ensure you do so in a safe manner.

 

(C) *T. Georgitsis 2020

Axis Mundi: Ancient Egyptian Aromatherapy

Posted in Articles, Fellowship of Isis, Hellenic, Kemetic, Lyceum of Heka, magazine, Publications, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I have an article about Ancient Egyptian “Aromatherapy” in this issue called Fragrance of the Gods – check it out, its free!

Axis Mundi Autumn Issue 2017

 

Kyphi Incense Recipe

Posted in Fellowship of Isis, Kemetic, Lyceum of Heka, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Kyphi Incense


 Ingredients:

3/4 (of a part) Honey

3 (parts) Raisins

1/4 (of a part) Copal

1/4 (of a part) Myrrh

1/4 (of a part) Orris Root Powder

1 (part) Sandalwood

1/4 (of a part) Storax

1/2 (of a part) Frankincense

1/2 (of a part) Cinnamon Powder

1/2 (of a part) Finely Ground Benzoin

Wine (enough to moisten entire mixture)

     Method:

  1. Thoroughly grind all ingredients separately, and then mix together all the ingredients except for the Benzoin.
  1. Add the wine to moisten, then form the mixture into small marble sized balls and roll them in the Benzoin.
  1. Place and cure (dry) on baking paper until firm (a moon phase is the best time-frame from experience.)

 

(c) T. Georgitsis 2014