Tag: solstice

Hekate Devotion: Summer Solstice/Litha

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

Litha also known as Midsummer, Estival Solstice and the Summer Solstice  is the time in summer which signifies the longest day of the year.  It’s a time which is celebrated as a fertility and light festival as the sun has reached its highest place in the sky with the longest time of daylight.   Traditionally it is a festival celebrated all around the world, some which hold rites which includes dancing, feasting and ritualistic sacrifice. These days the focus of this festival by neo pagans and witches is placed upon the sun and acknowledging its movement within their hemisphere.

This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar, it falls on Monday December 22nd at 2:03am (AEST). Gods such as Nuit, Hathor, Sekhmet, Ra, Horus, Aten, Apollo, Lugh, Mercury, Hestia, Juno, Lugh, Sulis Minerva, Huitzilopochtil, Sol and Amaterasu, can be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated the Summer Solstice with groups of people in various settings and alone, and the one thing which I found linked them, was celebrating the festive season with specially prepared food.  Something which I have experienced often during this festival day, is the acknowledgement of the sun and its power as well as it being the last sabbat of the year which coincides with Christmas and Hanukah.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the Summer Solstice with my coven where a member would make an ice wreath which had herbs and flowers placed in layers which she collected by season over the year.   A lit white candle anointed in oils was placed within the wreath and had pride of place in the centre of the circle during our ritual.  

In my coven and magickal groups we would always have fires usually in the form of a firepit or fireplace where we performed rites to celebrate the significance of the day.  We would also exchange gifts and share food which had either been hand-made or which had been specifically acquired for the day.

During this time of year, I notice that my garden is booming with new growth due to the heat and rain.  My sultana grape vine is bursting forth and I collect the excess of leaves for garlands to adorn my shrines.  I also have many fruits and vegetables which are available to pick from my garden to also include in the foods I prepare for feasting or make as offerings to my gods and ancestors.

I like to acknowledge and thank the traditional owners of the land as well my garden and the Devas of the land and its blessings by leaving tokens and offerings throughout my garden.  I ensure the bird bath and feeders are well stocked, as well as encourage any insects or bees which pollinate my garden by leaving them appropriate food such as organic honey water.  I plant or replant herbs and flowers which encourage the local bees and birds and I allow them to partake of my fruit and vegetables without nets or pesticides.

During this time of year I also tend to cook and bake as a way to infuse my personal energies with the offerings I make to my Gods, Ancestors and land spirits.  I use what is in season and usually make roasted vegetables and falafel, fresh salads, baked country bread, Greek and Middle eastern dips, olives, feta, pickled vegetables and pita and serve them with herbal iced tea and juice. I also bake sweets like layered seasonal cakes or cookies and platter various summer fruits for desert. I take some of these offerings and leave them upon Hekate’s, Sekhmet/Hathor’s and my ancestors shrines during my seasonal devotionals.    

Since the summer solstice ends up being around Christmas I also ensure I have baked items which resonate with this holiday such as shortbread and gingerbread and share them with co-workers, neighbours and friends.  I recite prayers to my ancestors in front of their shrines to acknowledge them and also leave various offerings of what I have prepared during the season.

I personally feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year.  The light is at its peak as is the potential within us to take up her torches and ignite or rekindle the energies we want to fully immerse ourselves in.  The surrounding vibrations swirl with vitality so now is the time for action as the sun is at its absolute pinnacle and available for us to bring down into our lives.  As our days are filled with heat use the flames of Hekate to take that strength which is available to you and use it to feed your projects which need that spark or extra boost.  

Hekate can also be a force of cleansing and movement.  Hekate helps us use the liminal places she inhabits to bury or wash away that which needs purifying and helps us turn our attention towards that which needs planting.  She does this by assisting us to eradicate or remove the negligent things in our lives to make way for the positive things we need.  

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of  wine, bread, eggs, cheese, olive oil, garlic, pomegranate, incense, candles, water, salt and biscuits and also items I have made which I have wildcrafted and resonate with the seasons energies. I also like to create a fire pit with old herbs, plants and tree branches which I can’t upcycle into my Hellenic firepit before my chthonic shrine to Hekate in my garden.  Lastly I tend to create in her name with regards to magic which I conduct in liminal spaces such as the beach or forest with like minders others or on my own during liminal times such as sunset, sunrise as well as the middle of the day. 

Seasonal Planting Guide:

Vegetables such as cucumber, corn, squash, spring onion, silver beet, onion, lettuce, beans, tomato, capsicum, sweet potato, artichoke, beetroot, shallots, cauliflower, celery, radish, okra and eggplant.

Herbs such as basil, coriander, lemongrass, mint, tarragon, thyme, chives, marjoram, oregano, parsley, fennel and rosemary.

Flowers such as sunflowers, carnations, poppies, petunias, nasturtiums, daisies, dahlias, zinnias and celosias.

Some things you can do to honour and mark the summer solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Make food usually consumed during this time and partake or share with loved ones, as well as leave as offerings to your gods or gods of the season, land spirits and ancestors. It’s the perfect time for a BBQ and anything which can be shared and is seasonal.
  2. Host a Misfit Christmas which you can host in your home or park/beach for those who don’t have anywhere to go during the festive season.  A good way to do this is by having a pot luck and having everyone bring something to share which can encourage sharing and opens conversations.
  3. Dance or drum to raise energy and direct it into the earth.
  4. Perform a ritual to celebrate and mark the sun at its peak and its blessings it brings upon the earth.
  5. Take a sun bath (ensuring to protect yourself from the UV rays) which can take the form of meditation or yoga.
  6. Rituals, spells and magick for fertility, creativity, passion and endeavours which you want to see growth in (especially when held in the middle of the day).
  7. Go outside into nature and take in the beauty whether it be a beach, forest, park or garden.  Whilst there wildcraft and acknowledge the bounty of the earth by giving thanks.
  8. Dedicate some time to assisting those who are in need, marginalised or alone during this time who need a little help and support.  Volunteer for a charity, collect items (food and personal hygiene items) for a homeless or animal shelter or gifts for those stuck in hospital.  This can also be done on a smaller scale where you can assist a elderly or sick neighbour or friend.
  9. Watch the sunset and give thanks to the sun for its light and warmth.
  10. Light a fire (bonfire, firepit or fireplace) or candles to celebrate and honour the light of the sun during this time.
  11. Declutter and swap, donate or sell that which you no longer need.
  12. Leave a candle in a safe place to burn all day in honour of the sun.
  13. Craft some items which resonate with the season for you.
  14. Revamp your shrine or altar with the colours of the summer solstice (Green, Red, Gold and Copper) and adorn it with candles, bells, ribbons and produce of the season (herbs, fruits, flowers and vegetables).

So work your magick this Solstice, honour and celebrate the sun and ask for what you want to be vitalised and strengthened in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021, Updated 2023/4/5

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

Winter Solstice also known as Yule is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of night. Symbolically it marks the death and rebirth of the sun and it falls between Samhain and the Spring Equinox and due to this manifests as the darkest period of the year yet is also a turning point where the days become longer.  It symbolises the darkest time of year and marks the returning of the light due to its time of seasonal transition.  The winter solstice marks the sun as its lowest elevation in the sky and the reason it contains the longest night of the year.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on the 21st of June (which coincides with the traditional date). Gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Helios, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Hathor, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus, Neith, Nephthys, Spider Woman, Ameratasu, Saturn, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Holy King, Hod, Frigga, Frau Holle, Cailleach and Baldur can all be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated Yule with groups of people in a magickal setting such as a working lodge, coven and magickal order.  The one thing which I found which linked them all together was the coming together to celebrate the light and the darkness whilst sharing food and gifts.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the winter solstice through creating handmade gifts.  I spend considerable time planning on what to make and then following through by crafting gifts which are unique and special.  The first thing I ever recall making was for my first coven where I sculpted and fired a set of runes and hand sewed an accompanying bag to contain them in.  This took a significant amount of energy and effort and was placed in a sack of gifts to be randomly selected by one coven member in the middle of our coven’s winter solstice ritual.  Imagine my surprise when one of my coven members whom I was closest to (and who has become a lifelong friend) chose it at random and had been wanting a set of runes which turned out to feature her favourite colour (they were coloured green and purple).

I personally like to hand make gifts during this time of year usually involving items which feature divination, light, purification, seeds, woods and herbs harvested and collected.  I also love to cook, bake and prepare food which is consumed, shared or given to loved ones including the following: citrus preserves such as salt preserved lemons and Cointreau marmalade,  soup (lentil/beans/barley and root vegetable, Greek chicken soup), stew (barley, beans, lentil, cholent and coq au vin), bread (Greek sweetbread, olive loaf and garlic & feta loaf), gingerbread (especially witches houses/cottages), shortbread (various Greek ones), lamb or beef roast, dumplings and baked spiced rice stuffed into vegetables.

Since this time tends to fall on my personal anniversary (we got together on the winter solstice) for me it also involves going out for an intimate meal with my partner and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. One being that this is a liminal time where she has dominion between the darkness and the light.  In this time  she encourages and enables us to turn our attention to the presence of the promise of new things to come.  As the time of growth and movement is before us Hekate beckons us to straddle the in-between time and to use this time for the power it contains.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, mead, beer, wine, bread, barley, nuts, lilies, pine, mistletoe, juniper, holly, frankincense, myrrh, cedar, bay, chamomile and roots from dandelions.

I also like to make items for Hekate which resonate with the season mostly wands collected from wood during the summer, candle anointing oil blends, herb pouches for dreaming, health and wealth, candles which illuminate, soap which cleanses, incense using dried herbs from the summer, book and journal covers with locally sourced materials or upcycled materials, various art pieces with paints, ink, photography and/or several thread types (in recent years its been all about the land, sea and sky) and beaded jewellery such as ethically sourced crystal necklaces which can also be used as meditation or manifestation beads.

In the garden now is the time to plant:

Vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chillies, corn, cucumber, endive, kale, leek, lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, turnip and zucchinis

Herbs such as garlic, basil, chives, cress, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme.

Flowers such as aquilegia, calendula, cineraria, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, nemesia, pansy, primula, polyanthus poppy and viola. 

Some things you can do to honour and mark the winter solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Hold a ritual signifying the balance of darkness and light and/or liminality.
  2. Work spells and magick which involve igniting a flame, balance or brining the light into a situation, .
  3. Create and light a bonfire or light a special candle carved with symbols which signify the time of year.
  4. Inscribe and light a Yule log in a firepit or fireplace.
  5. Take a walk at dusk holding a lantern.
  6. Bake a seasonal pie, cook a roast and make mulled wine or any other food or drink which to you symbolises the winter solstice .
  7. In the evening go out star gazing and seek out your local constellations.
  8. Honour the Gods which signify this time of year by creating a shrine or altar in their name or tending to an existing one and make offerings to them.
  9. Create an ice wreath in the freezer filled with flowers and herbs of the season (use a bunt cake tin) and once set place a candle in the middle of the wreath and light it to signify the winter moving out and the spring coming in.
  10. Use this time to cleanse your magickal tools and spaces such as shrines and altars.
  11. Rituals and spells involving transitions and movement.
  12. Reflect on your inner world and take some time to just be with yourself and listen to your inner self such as meditation, yoga, going for a walk in nature or just sitting in a space which is sacred to you and just being present.
  13. Use this time to recharge yourself through honouring yourself and do what you need to, to enable that reset.
  14. Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
  15. Light black and white candles to signify the diminishing darkness and the increasing light.
  16. Decorate a tree (such as a xmas tree) with decorations which signify the winter solstice.
  17. Exchange gifts with loved ones.
  18. Donate to charities involving the displaced such as the homeless and refugees.
  19. Do something kind for someone who is alone, in pain or suffering.
  20. Volunteer for a charity which assists the natural world or the less fortunate.
  21. Divination such as rune, tarot, dice, candle wax, crystal, magick mirror or ink scrying.  

So work your magick this midwinter, honour the light and the darkness within you and all around you and contemplate and manifest balance in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021 – Updated 2023

Hekate Devotion: Summer Solstice/Litha

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, Witchcraft1 Comment

Litha also known as Midsummer, Estival Solstice and the Summer Solstice  is the time in summer which signifies the longest day of the year.  It’s a time which is celebrated as a fertility and light festival as the sun has reached its highest place in the sky with the longest time of daylight.   Traditionally it is a festival celebrated all around the world, some which hold rites which includes dancing, feasting and ritualistic sacrifice. These days the focus of this festival by neo pagans and witches is placed upon the sun and acknowledging its movement within their hemisphere.

This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar,  it falls on Saturday the 21st of December at 7.20pm (AEST). Gods such as Nuit, Hathor, Sekhmet, Ra, Horus, Aten, Apollo, Lugh, Mercury, Hestia, Juno, Lugh, Sulis Minerva, Huitzilopochtil, Sol and Amaterasu, can be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated the Summer Solstice with groups of people in various settings and alone, and the one thing which I found linked them, was celebrating the festive season with specially prepared food.  Something which I have experienced often during this festival day, is the acknowledgement of the sun and its power as well as it being the last sabbat of the year which coincides with Christmas and Hanukah.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the Summer Solstice with my coven where a member would make an ice wreath which had herbs and flowers placed in layers which she collected by season over the year.   A lit white candle anointed in oils was placed within the wreath and had pride of place in the centre of the circle during our ritual.  

In my coven and magickal groups we would always have fires usually in the form of a firepit or fireplace where we performed rites to celebrate the significance of the day.  We would also exchange gifts and share food which had either been hand-made or which had been specifically acquired for the day.

During this time of year, I notice that my garden is booming with new growth due to the heat and rain.  My sultana grape vine is bursting forth and I collect the excess of leaves for garlands to adorn my shrines.  I also have many fruits and vegetables which are available to pick from my garden to also include in the foods I prepare for feasting or make as offerings to my gods and ancestors.

I like to acknowledge and thank the traditional owners of the land as well my garden and the Devas of the land and its blessings by leaving tokens and offerings throughout my garden.  I ensure the bird bath and feeders are well stocked, as well as encourage any insects or bees which pollinate my garden by leaving them appropriate food such as organic honey water.  I plant or replant herbs and flowers which encourage the local bees and birds and I allow them to partake of my fruit and vegetables without nets or pesticides.

During this time of year I also tend to cook and bake as a way to infuse my personal energies with the offerings I make to my Gods, Ancestors and land spirits.  I use what is in season and usually make roasted vegetables and falafel, fresh salads, baked country bread, Greek and Middle eastern dips, olives, feta, pickled vegetables and pita and serve them with herbal iced tea and juice. I also bake sweets like layered seasonal cakes or cookies and platter various summer fruits for desert. I take some of these offerings and leave them upon Hekate’s, Sekhmet/Hathor’s and my ancestors shrines during my seasonal devotionals.    

Since the summer solstice ends up being around Christmas I also ensure I have baked items which resonate with this holiday such as shortbread and gingerbread and share them with co-workers, neighbours and friends.  I recite prayers to my ancestors in front of their shrines to acknowledge them and also leave various offerings of what I have prepared during the season.

I personally feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year.  The light is at its peak as is the potential within us to take up her torches and ignite or rekindle the energies we want to fully immerse ourselves in.  The surrounding vibrations swirl with vitality so now is the time for action as the sun is at its absolute pinnacle and available for us to bring down into our lives.  As our days are filled with heat use the flames of Hekate to take that strength which is available to you and use it to feed your projects which need that spark or extra boost.  

Hekate can also be a force of cleansing and movement.  Hekate helps us use the liminal places she inhabits to bury or wash away that which needs purifying and helps us turn our attention towards that which needs planting.  She does this by assisting us to eradicate or remove the negligent things in our lives to make way for the positive things we need.  

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of  wine, bread, eggs, cheese, olive oil, garlic, pomegranate, incense, candles, water, salt and biscuits and also items I have made which I have wildcrafted and resonate with the seasons energies. I also like to create a fire pit with old herbs, plants and tree branches which I can’t upcycle into my Hellenic firepit before my chthonic shrine to Hekate in my garden.  Lastly I tend to create in her name with regards to magic which I conduct in liminal spaces such as the beach or forest with like minders others or on my own during liminal times such as sunset, sunrise as well as the middle of the day. 

Seasonal Planting Guide:

Vegetables such as cucumber, corn, squash, spring onion, silver beet, onion, lettuce, beans, tomato, capsicum, sweet potato, artichoke, beetroot, shallots, cauliflower, celery, radish, okra and eggplant.

Herbs such as basil, coriander, lemongrass, mint, tarragon, thyme, chives, marjoram, oregano, parsley, fennel and rosemary.

Flowers such as sunflowers, carnations, poppies, petunias, nasturtiums, daisies, dahlias, zinnias and celosias.

Some things you can do to honour and mark the summer solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Make food usually consumed during this time and partake or share with loved ones, as well as leave as offerings to your gods or gods of the season, land spirits and ancestors. It’s the perfect time for a BBQ and anything which can be shared and is seasonal.
  2. Host a Misfit Christmas which you can host in your home or park/beach for those who don’t have anywhere to go during the festive season.  A good way to do this is by having a pot luck and having everyone bring something to share which can encourage sharing and opens conversations.
  3. Dance or drum to raise energy and direct it into the earth.
  4. Perform a ritual to celebrate and mark the sun at its peak and its blessings it brings upon the earth.
  5. Take a sun bath (ensuring to protect yourself from the UV rays) which can take the form of meditation or yoga.
  6. Rituals, spells and magick for fertility, creativity, passion and endeavours which you want to see growth in (especially when held in the middle of the day).
  7. Go outside into nature and take in the beauty whether it be a beach, forest, park or garden.  Whilst there wildcraft and acknowledge the bounty of the earth by giving thanks.
  8. Dedicate some time to assisting those who are in need, marginalised or alone during this time who need a little help and support.  Volunteer for a charity, collect items (food and personal hygiene items) for a homeless or animal shelter or gifts for those stuck in hospital.  This can also be done on a smaller scale where you can assist a elderly or sick neighbour or friend.
  9. Watch the sunset and give thanks to the sun for its light and warmth.
  10. Light a fire (bonfire, firepit or fireplace) or candles to celebrate and honour the light of the sun during this time.
  11. Declutter and swap, donate or sell that which you no longer need.
  12. Leave a candle in a safe place to burn all day in honour of the sun.
  13. Craft some items which resonate with the season for you.
  14. Revamp your shrine or altar with the colours of the summer solstice (Green, Red, Gold and Copper) and adorn it with candles, bells, ribbons and produce of the season (herbs, fruits, flowers and vegetables).

So work your magick this Solstice, honour and celebrate the sun and ask for what you want to be vitalised and strengthened in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021, Updated 2023/4

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

Winter Solstice also known as Yule is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of night. Symbolically it marks the death and rebirth of the sun and it falls between Samhain and the Spring Equinox and due to this manifests as the darkest period of the year yet is also a turning point where the days become longer.  It symbolises the darkest time of year and marks the returning of the light due to its time of seasonal transition.  The winter solstice marks the sun as its lowest elevation in the sky and the reason it contains the longest night of the year.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on the 21st of June at 6.51am (which coi-incudes with the traditional date). Gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Helios, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Hathor, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus, Neith, Nephthys, Spider Woman, Ameratasu, Saturn, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Holy King, Hod, Frigga, Frau Holle, Cailleach and Baldur can all be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated Yule with groups of people in a magickal setting such as a working lodge, coven and magickal order.  The one thing which I found which linked them all together was the coming together to celebrate the light and the darkness whilst sharing food and gifts.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the winter solstice through creating handmade gifts.  I spend considerable time planning on what to make and then following through by crafting gifts which are unique and special.  The first thing I ever recall making was for my first coven where I sculpted and fired a set of runes and hand sewed an accompanying bag to contain them in.  This took a significant amount of energy and effort and was placed in a sack of gifts to be randomly selected by one coven member in the middle of our coven’s winter solstice ritual.  Imagine my surprise when one of my coven members whom I was closest to (and who has become a lifelong friend) chose it at random and had been wanting a set of runes which turned out to feature her favourite colour (they were coloured green and purple).

I personally like to hand make gifts during this time of year usually involving items which feature divination, light, purification, seeds, woods and herbs harvested and collected.  I also love to cook, bake and prepare food which is consumed, shared or given to loved ones including the following: citrus preserves such as salt preserved lemons and Cointreau marmalade,  soup (lentil/beans/barley and root vegetable, Greek chicken soup), stew (barley, beans, lentil, cholent and coq au vin), bread (Greek sweetbread, olive loaf and garlic & feta loaf), gingerbread (especially witches houses/cottages), shortbread (various Greek ones), lamb or beef roast, dumplings and baked spiced rice stuffed into vegetables.

Since this time tends to fall on my personal anniversary (we got together on the winter solstice) for me it also involves going out for an intimate meal with my partner and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. One being that this is a liminal time where she has dominion between the darkness and the light.  In this time  she encourages and enables us to turn our attention to the presence of the promise of new things to come.  As the time of growth and movement is before us Hekate beckons us to straddle the in-between time and to use this time for the power it contains.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, mead, beer, wine, bread, barley, nuts, lilies, pine, mistletoe, juniper, holly, frankincense, myrrh, cedar, bay, chamomile and roots from dandelions.

I also like to make items for Hekate which resonate with the season mostly wands collected from wood during the summer, candle anointing oil blends, herb pouches for dreaming, health and wealth, candles which illuminate, soap which cleanses, incense using dried herbs from the summer, book and journal covers with locally sourced materials or upcycled materials, various art pieces with paints, ink, photography and/or several thread types (in recent years its been all about the land, sea and sky) and beaded jewellery such as ethically sourced crystal necklaces which can also be used as meditation or manifestation beads.

In the garden now is the time to plant:

Vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chillies, corn, cucumber, endive, kale, leek, lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, turnip and zucchinis

Herbs such as garlic, basil, chives, cress, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme.

Flowers such as aquilegia, calendula, cineraria, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, nemesia, pansy, primula, polyanthus poppy and viola. 

Some things you can do to honour and mark the winter solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Hold a ritual signifying the balance of darkness and light and/or liminality.
  2. Work spells and magick which involve igniting a flame, balance or brining the light into a situation, .
  3. Create and light a bonfire or light a special candle carved with symbols which signify the time of year.
  4. Inscribe and light a Yule log in a firepit or fireplace.
  5. Take a walk at dusk holding a lantern.
  6. Bake a seasonal pie, cook a roast and make mulled wine or any other food or drink which to you symbolises the winter solstice .
  7. In the evening go out star gazing and seek out your local constellations.
  8. Honour the Gods which signify this time of year by creating a shrine or altar in their name or tending to an existing one and make offerings to them.
  9. Create an ice wreath in the freezer filled with flowers and herbs of the season (use a bunt cake tin) and once set place a candle in the middle of the wreath and light it to signify the winter moving out and the spring coming in.
  10. Use this time to cleanse your magickal tools and spaces such as shrines and altars.
  11. Rituals and spells involving transitions and movement.
  12. Reflect on your inner world and take some time to just be with yourself and listen to your inner self such as meditation, yoga, going for a walk in nature or just sitting in a space which is sacred to you and just being present.
  13. Use this time to recharge yourself through honouring yourself and do what you need to, to enable that reset.
  14. Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
  15. Light black and white candles to signify the diminishing darkness and the increasing light.
  16. Decorate a tree (such as a xmas tree) with decorations which signify the winter solstice.
  17. Exchange gifts with loved ones.
  18. Donate to charities involving the displaced such as the homeless and refugees.
  19. Do something kind for someone who is alone, in pain or suffering.
  20. Volunteer for a charity which assists the natural world or the less fortunate.
  21. Divination such as rune, tarot, dice, candle wax, crystal, magick mirror or ink scrying.  

So work your magick this midwinter, honour the light and the darkness within you and all around you and contemplate and manifest balance in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021 – Updated 2023

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

Winter Solstice also known as Yule is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of night. Symbolically it marks the death and rebirth of the sun and it falls between Samhain and the Spring Equinox and due to this manifests as the darkest period of the year yet is also a turning point where the days become longer.  It symbolises the darkest time of year and marks the returning of the light due to its time of seasonal transition.  The winter solstice marks the sun as its lowest elevation in the sky and the reason it contains the longest night of the year.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on Thursday the 22nd of June at 12.58am. Gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Helios, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Hathor, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus, Neith, Nephthys, Spider Woman, Ameratasu, Saturn, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Holy King, Hod, Frigga, Frau Holle, Cailleach and Baldur can all be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated Yule with groups of people in a magickal setting such as a working lodge, coven and magickal order.  The one thing which I found which linked them all together was the coming together to celebrate the light and the darkness whilst sharing food and gifts.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the winter solstice through creating handmade gifts.  I spend considerable time planning on what to make and then following through by crafting gifts which are unique and special.  The first thing I ever recall making was for my first coven where I sculpted and fired a set of runes and hand sewed an accompanying bag to contain them in.  This took a significant amount of energy and effort and was placed in a sack of gifts to be randomly selected by one coven member in the middle of our coven’s winter solstice ritual.  Imagine my surprise when one of my coven members whom I was closest to (and who has become a lifelong friend) chose it at random and had been wanting a set of runes which turned out to feature her favourite colour (they were coloured green and purple).

I personally like to hand make gifts during this time of year usually involving items which feature divination, light, purification, seeds, woods and herbs harvested and collected.  I also love to cook, bake and prepare food which is consumed, shared or given to loved ones including the following: citrus preserves such as salt preserved lemons and Cointreau marmalade,  soup (lentil/beans/barley and root vegetable, Greek chicken soup), stew (barley, beans, lentil, cholent and coq au vin), bread (Greek sweetbread, olive loaf and garlic & feta loaf), gingerbread (especially witches houses/cottages), shortbread (various Greek ones), lamb or beef roast, dumplings and baked spiced rice stuffed into vegetables.

Since this time tends to fall on my personal anniversary (we got together on the winter solstice) for me it also involves going out for an intimate meal with my partner and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. One being that this is a liminal time where she has dominion between the darkness and the light.  In this time  she encourages and enables us to turn our attention to the presence of the promise of new things to come.  As the time of growth and movement is before us Hekate beckons us to straddle the in-between time and to use this time for the power it contains.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, mead, beer, wine, bread, barley, nuts, lilies, pine, mistletoe, juniper, holly, frankincense, myrrh, cedar, bay, chamomile and roots from dandelions.

I also like to make items for Hekate which resonate with the season mostly wands collected from wood during the summer, candle anointing oil blends, herb pouches for dreaming, health and wealth, candles which illuminate, soap which cleanses, incense using dried herbs from the summer, book and journal covers with locally sourced materials or upcycled materials, various art pieces with paints, ink, photography and/or several thread types (in recent years its been all about the land, sea and sky) and beaded jewellery such as ethically sourced crystal necklaces which can also be used as meditation or manifestation beads.

In the garden now is the time to plant:

Vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chillies, corn, cucumber, endive, kale, leek, lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, turnip and zucchinis

Herbs such as garlic, basil, chives, cress, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme.

Flowers such as aquilegia, calendula, cineraria, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, nemesia, pansy, primula, polyanthus poppy and viola. 

Some things you can do to honour and mark the winter solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Hold a ritual signifying the balance of darkness and light and/or liminality.
  2. Work spells and magick which involve igniting a flame, balance or brining the light into a situation, .
  3. Create and light a bonfire or light a special candle carved with symbols which signify the time of year.
  4. Inscribe and light a Yule log in a firepit or fireplace.
  5. Take a walk at dusk holding a lantern.
  6. Bake a seasonal pie, cook a roast and make mulled wine or any other food or drink which to you symbolises the winter solstice .
  7. In the evening go out star gazing and seek out your local constellations.
  8. Honour the Gods which signify this time of year by creating a shrine or altar in their name or tending to an existing one and make offerings to them.
  9. Create an ice wreath in the freezer filled with flowers and herbs of the season (use a bunt cake tin) and once set place a candle in the middle of the wreath and light it to signify the winter moving out and the spring coming in.
  10. Use this time to cleanse your magickal tools and spaces such as shrines and altars.
  11. Rituals and spells involving transitions and movement.
  12. Reflect on your inner world and take some time to just be with yourself and listen to your inner self such as meditation, yoga, going for a walk in nature or just sitting in a space which is sacred to you and just being present.
  13. Use this time to recharge yourself through honouring yourself and do what you need to, to enable that reset.
  14. Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
  15. Light black and white candles to signify the diminishing darkness and the increasing light.
  16. Decorate a tree (such as a xmas tree) with decorations which signify the winter solstice.
  17. Exchange gifts with loved ones.
  18. Donate to charities involving the displaced such as the homeless and refugees.
  19. Do something kind for someone who is alone, in pain or suffering.
  20. Volunteer for a charity which assists the natural world or the less fortunate.
  21. Divination such as rune, tarot, dice, candle wax, crystal, magick mirror or ink scrying.  

So work your magick this midwinter, honour the light and the darkness within you and all around you and contemplate and manifest balance in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021 – Updated 2023

Solstice Blessings: Summer in the Southern Hemisphere and Winter in the Norther Hemisphere!

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, The Sanctuary of Hekate's Crossroads, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, WitchcraftLeave a comment

Wishing all a fabulous solstice and turning of the wheel in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres!☀️

I have previously written on some things you can do for the summer solstice in my blog here:

Hekate Devotion: Summer Solstice/Litha

I have also written previously some things you can do for the winter solstice in my blog here:

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

(C) T. Georgitsis 2022

Mystic Tribe Magazine: February 2022, Issue #51

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

In the latest issue of Mystic Tribe Magazine, I have written an article called “Hag Stones and Their Magick“ which describes what they are, what they do and how to use them for various purposes. I have also included a Witches Ladder Talisman working I have created using Hag Stones in combination with Cord and Knot Magick. Get your FREE copy below:

issue-51-mystic-tribe-magazine-february-2022Download

Mystic Tribe Magazine: January 2022, Issue #50

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

In the latest issue of Mystic Tribe Magazine, I have written an article called “Citrine and its Magick by Setjataset“ which describes what it is, what it does and how to use it with respects to your health, career and finances in a magickal way. Get your FREE copy below:

issue-50-mystic-tribe-magazine-january-2022Download

Mystic Tribe Magazine: December 2021, Issue #49

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

In the latest issue of Mystic Tribe Magazine, I have written an article called “The Establishment of the Celestial Cow aka Moomas by Setjataset“ which describes a Kemetic practice which coincides with the Solstice in December. Get your FREE copy below:

issue-49-mystic-tribe-magazine-december-2021Download

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

Posted in Articles, Blog, Ceremonial magick, Events, Fellowship of Isis, Goddess, Hekate, Hellenic, Lyceum of Heka, magic, pagan, Publications, Recipes - Food Craft, Spirit of Place, Vibrational Medicine, Wicca, Witchcraft3 Comments

Winter Solstice also known as Yule is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of night. Symbolically it marks the death and rebirth of the sun and it falls between Samhain and the Spring Equinox and due to this manifests as the darkest period of the year yet is also a turning point where the days become longer.  It symbolises the darkest time of year and marks the returning of the light due to its time of seasonal transition.  The winter solstice marks the sun as its lowest elevation in the sky and the reason it contains the longest night of the year.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on Monday the 21st of June at 1.32pm. Gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Helios, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Hathor, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus, Neith, Nephthys, Spider Woman, Ameratasu, Saturn, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Holy King, Hod, Frigga, Frau Holle, Cailleach and Baldurcan all be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated Yule with groups of people in a magickal setting such as a working lodge, coven and magickal order.  The one thing which I found which linked them all together was the coming together to celebrate the light and the darkness whilst sharing food and gifts.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the winter solstice through creating handmade gifts.  I spend considerable time planning on what to make and then following through by crafting gifts which are unique and special.  The first thing I ever recall making was for my first coven where I sculpted and fired a set of runes and hand sewed an accompanying bag to contain them in.  This took a significant amount of energy and effort and was placed in a sack of gifts to be randomly selected by one coven member in the middle of our coven’s winter solstice ritual.  Imagine my surprise when one of my coven members whom I was closest to (and who has become a lifelong friend) chose it at random and had been wanting a set of runes which turned out to feature her favourite colour (they were coloured green and purple).

I personally like to hand make gifts during this time of year usually involving items which feature divination, light, purification, seeds, woods and herbs harvested and collected.  I also love to cook, bake and prepare food which is consumed, shared or given to loved ones including the following: citrus preserves such as salt preserved lemons and Cointreau marmalade,  soup (lentil/beans/barley and root vegetable, Greek chicken soup), stew (barley, beans, lentil, cholent andcoq au vin), bread (Greek sweetbread, olive loaf and garlic and feta loaf), gingerbread (especially witches houses/cottages), shortbread (various Greek ones), lamb or beef roast, dumplings and baked spiced rice stuffed into vegetables.

Since this time tends to fall on my personal anniversary (we got together on the winter solstice) for me it also involves going out for an intimate meal with my partner and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. One being that this is a liminal time where she has dominion between the darkness and the light.  In this time  she encourages and enables us to turn our attention to the presence of the promise of new things to come.  As the time of growth and movement is before us Hekate beckons us to straddle the in-between time and to use this time for the power it contains.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, mead, beer, wine, bread, barley, nuts, lilies, pine, mistletoe, juniper, holly, frankincense, myrrh, cedar, bay, chamomile and roots from dandelions.

I also like to make items for Hekate which resonate with the season mostly wands collected from wood during the summer, candle anointing oil blends, herb pouches for dreaming, health and wealth, candles which illuminate, soap which cleanses, incense using dried herbs from the summer, book and journal covers with locally sourced materials or upcycled materials, various art pieces with paints, ink, photography and/or several thread types (in recent years its been all about the land, sea and sky) and beaded jewellery such as ethically sourced crystal necklaces which can also be used as meditation or manifestation beads.

In the garden now is the time to plant:

Vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chillies, corn, cucumber, endive, kale, leek, lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, turnip and zucchinis

Herbs such as garlic, basil, chives, cress, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme.

Flowers such as aquilegia, calendula, cineraria, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, nemesia, pansy, primula, polyanthus poppy and viola. 

Some things you can do to honour and mark the winter solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

  1. Hold a ritual signifying the balance of darkness and light and/or liminality.
  2. Work spells and magick which involve igniting a flame, balance or brining the light into a situation, .
  3. Create and light a bonfire or light a special candle carved with symbols which signify the time of year.
  4. Inscribe and light a Yule log in a firepit or fireplace.
  5. Take a walk at dusk holding a lantern.
  6. Bake a seasonal pie, cook a roast and make mulled wine or any other food or drink which to you symbolises the winter solstice .
  7. In the evening go out star gazing and seek out your local constellations.
  8. Honour the Gods which signify this time of year by creating a shrine or altar in their name or tending to an existing one and make offerings to them.
  9. Create an ice wreath in the freezer filled with flowers and herbs of the season (use a bunt cake tin) and once set place a candle in the middle of the wreath and light it to signify the winter moving out and the spring coming in.
  10. Use this time to cleanse your magickal tools and spaces such as shrines and altars.
  11. Rituals and spells involving transitions and movement.
  12. Reflect on your inner world and take some time to just be with yourself and listen to your inner self such as meditation, yoga, going for a walk in nature or just sitting in a space which is sacred to you and just being present.
  13. Use this time to recharge yourself through honouring yourself and do what you need to, to enable that reset.
  14. Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
  15. Light black and white candles to signify the diminishing darkness and the increasing light.
  16. Decorate a tree (such as a xmas tree) with decorations which signify the winter solstice.
  17. Exchange gifts with loved ones.
  18. Donate to charities involving the displaced such as the homeless and refugees.
  19. Do something kind for someone who is alone, in pain or suffering.
  20. Volunteer for a charity which assists the natural world or the less fortunate.
  21. Divination such as rune, tarot, dice, candle wax, crystal, magick mirror or ink scrying.  

So work your magick this midwinter, honour the light and the darkness within you and all around you and contemplate and manifest balance in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021