aeternalight

[aeternalight]

While everyone gets the fun deities to chill and go crazy with, all the ones that want to talk to me tell me i should face my shadow self and confront my trauma and face the things I repress every day to keep myself sane.

And sure, I love them, but right now, sometimes talking to them is indistinguishable from demons at my door. The voices, even.

I think it's a good idea if I just ignore things for a little while.

[aeternalight]

Never let anybody ridicule your beliefs. It’s human to find divinity in the mundane. It’s human to turn to the divine for answers. It’s not a matter of intelligence, like some would like to think. It’s a matter of human nature and instinct.

So leave some honey out for the fae, find omens in the patterns of the clouds, or hang wind chimes outside like your grandma used to do. Don’t let anybody call you anything other than human.

[aeternalight]

As an autist sometimes the Gods are more easy to communicate with than people. I constantly have the autistic fear of people misinterpreting my words and that just doesn’t exist with them.

Me after rambling about something: sorry, I’m not quite sure how to explain that, I hope you know what I mean

Hermes, the literal God of language: I understand what you mean, it’s okay.

Me, still trying to explain: I just want to make sure you’re not getting the wrong idea

Hermes: Dude, I know what you mean. I always know what you mean. I don’t apply hidden subtext to your words because I know that’s not your intention. I’m not a human.

Me: I’m just nervous I’m coming across wrong

Hermes: oh you poor traumatized child. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.

[aeternalight]

Actually, your deities do care about you. Even at the base level of a deity relationship, it still takes a lot of care for someone to help you grow as a person or improve your life. It takes an immense amount of care to listen to someone who cries for your help, to hear about their struggles, to reach out a compassionate hand. It takes a considerable amount of care to check in on someone often, sending little reminders of your presence throughout their day. It takes a noteworthy amount of care for someone to give when they do not receive, for them to extend their kindness even when they aren't getting something out of it. It takes a remarkable amount of care to express pride in how much someone has grown and celebrate even their littlest victories. It takes a massive amount of care to sit by someone's side as they cry and whisper words of comfort and encouragement that they may never actually hear. Supporting someone who may not even know that you're there - that takes a lot of fucking care.

So, yes, your deities do care about you. They do care, whether you're aware of it or not, and they will continue to care.

[aeternalight]

had already sent this to a mutual of mine but i thought this might be helpful for anyone else who may need it

it’s a tarot spread on how to know what deities are trying to reach out with you and why, works like a charm i swear

have a good night everyone!

-star <3

[aeternalight]

the gods understand your disabilities, mental health, and neurodiversities.

they understand if your physical disabilities, mental or physical, prevent you from being able to go outside.

they understand you even when you cannot articulate what you mean during prayer or cannot find the words to express gratitude and love.

they understand if you can't spend much time or stand still at their altars.

they understand if executive dysfunction keeps you from making offerings or doing a lot of active practice.

they understand if you have to take breaks and hiatuses from practicing to focus on yourself and your mental or physical health.

they understand if you lose focus during meditation/trance work or cannot do it to begin with.

they understand you and are with you when you cannot get out of bed for mental or physical reasons.

they understand you and are with you during times when you cannot care for yourself or love yourself.

the gods will always understand, love, and accept us for who we are. we are all valid, and we are seen and heard by the gods, even when it feels as if we are alone. 💙

[aeternalight]

✏️ WITCH TIP ✏️

If you often have to draw a complicated symbol (ex. a sigil, pentacle, hekates wheel, etc.), you can instead take something like an old sponge or school eraser, carve the symbol into it, and use it as a stamp instead so theres no need to go through the process of drawing it perfectly each time (or even remembering exactly how to draw it)

[aeternalight]

IKR??? SHE HATES THAT!!! I felt her anger and disgust when looking at one.

Hekate's worshippers seeing an AI generated image of her for the 20th time today : 🥲

[aeternalight]

All About Lady Hekate

Her Attributes

Witchcraft

Magic

Crossroads

Death and Life

Liminal spaces

Protection of The Home

Necromancy

Spirits

Childbirth and Midwifery

The sea

The stars/Moon

Symbols:

Torches

Snakes, Dragons, Serpents

Dogs especially black

Corvus birds

Fish

Wands

Daggers

Keys

Cats

Moon

Crossroads (three way road)

The number 3, 6, and 9

Hekate’s Wheel or the Stropholos

Skulls or bones

Ferrets

Pomegranates

Any black animals

The color black

Offerings

Libations of wine

Fish

Cakes, breads, any kind of pastries

Herbs like Mugwort, Rue, Belladonna (poisonous), Garlic, Rosemary, Chives, Black Nightshade (Poisonous), Lavender.

Fruits: Pomegranates, Apples, Lemons

Anything related to dogs

Spiritual or magical tools or items

Creating spells and offerings i.e I created a spirit board for Hekate

Spirit communication

Taking care of Children and supporting mothers and soon to be mothers

Epithets (Greek and a Roman title)

Trivia - A Roman title given to Hekate and Diana relating to the crossroads. It’s also said Trivia could’ve been a Roman Goddess on her own.

Brimo - Angry, Terrible one. It’s a title for a god who is showing their scary aspect Hekate, Demeter, Presphone is known for this also male deities like Dionysus. Hekate in this aspect is usually depicted with three heads of animals like dogs, owls, and a serpent but she can take any form that can be terrifying. Usually invoke during rituals and magic spells. Also very good in curse workings, this aspect infamously shows up in the myth of Jason when she is evoke by Medea who is a witch.

Perseis- Destroyer, child of Perses. Hekate’s Father is a Titian Perses who embodies destruction.

Aidônaia - Of the Underworld - Hekate is considered to be a Psychopomp like Hermes she guides souls to the underworld

Kthonia - Of The Earth - many earth deities have this title it can still relate to the underworld but also the physical world like Demeter a earth goddess.

Phosphorus - Light Bringer - Hekate’s main symbols are torches being a guiding light to those who are lost, also to help guide lost souls. Common depiction is how she guided Persephone out of the underworld and guided her so she won’t be lost.

Kourotrophos - Nurse of the young - She is considered to protector of children like how Hera and Artemis is.

Genetyllis - Protector of Births - Hekate is also a midwife goddess and fertility, evoke during births. One myth says she taught Artemis the ways of Midwifery when Leto was giving to Apollo.

Aeneos - Eternal, everlasting.

Trimorphis - Three formed

Trioditis - The three ways or crossroads

Einodia - The one on the Road - Relating to her and the crossroads.

Nyktipolos - Night wandering

Atalos - Tender, Delicate

Skylakagetis - Leader of Dogs

Anassa Eneroi - Queen of those below

Festivals:

Noumenia- Beginning of the new month which is the New Moon. Hekate along with Artemis and Selene are worshipped during this day.

Feast of Hekate is on August 13th where people would bring offerings like honey cakes on the crossroads. The reason being to make sure she won’t summon storms to kill their crops.

In Rome she was honored monthly on the 29th day of the moon.

Tarot Associations

The Moon

The High Priestess

Hierophant

The Hermit

The Two of Swords

General Information

Hekate’s name means “Far-darting” or “who works from afar”. Hekate is the daughter of Perses Titian of Destruction and Asteria Titan of the Stars. It is also said she is also the daughter of Helios and the Oceanid Perse. She is also linked with Circe as her Mother or sister or regular servant to Hekate. As Helios is the father of Circe and Medea who also evokes Hekate a lot in her spells. Helios and Hekate have common myths together.

Hekate is associated with the Full moon and New Moon, stars, and other Cosmic events. She is associated with the sea but most commonly she is associated with earth and the underworld as being a guide to souls to the after life and those coming out. It’s said lost souls follow her along with her nymphs carrying torches. She has black dogs always beside her, it is said you can hear Hekate approching by the howls of dogs.

Hekate is also the protector of the home, keeping a statue of her at the front door will help keep danger away. Protector of liminal spaces and doorways. She can protect a person from curses but she can also help you cast them but she won’t do it unless there’s a good reason. Hekate is goddess of spirits, she can help guide them as I said earlier but also get rid of evil spirits from the home.

At the crossroads is where most likely you’ll find her especially if you need her help. The crossroads are important when it comes to transitions and change and it’s by your choice and of her guidance. But you can also do magic at the crossroads by summoning a spirit or getting rid of one, you can do a simple ritual of banishing a spirit with the item being buried and then you walk away it’s been advised by experienced witches even historians to not turn around after doing the spell. Necromancy is in the context is this, no you’re not summoning the dead back to life or evil spirits, necromancy is simply spirit communication and workings. Of course you’ll be careful with each spirit first encounter with.

Hekate has been a powerful goddess throughout centuries, her origins in Ancient Turkey who was seen as a mother goddess before she was adopted into the Greek Panetheon. She is quite remarkable in Roman religion and even modern day times she is separated from these ancient practices and still a goddess that people go to for all things in life. She is open to all for those who wish to make her involve in your life. Hekate will not be the same for everyone of course, but similarities are true she is very much like a Mother and very protective of her children.

[aeternalight]

Ashes to Ashes.

Dust to Dust.

In thee now, I do Trust.

As Above, So Below.

Magic-

Protect my Witch's soul.

[aeternalight]

But anyway, before I got distracted by my last post.

Hekate.

I wanted to share some things I've learned about Her.

1) She is The Unseen Witness. This is an epithet I personally have given Her, but which derives from Her role as Persephone's savior and guide to and from the underworld.

2) She's pre-Greek. Anatolian, actually. That's how I personally like my deities—from a localized cult but so powerful they got picked up by a nearby pantheon (Diana is another example of this).

3) She's a goddess that was traditionally worshiped not in temples, but at homes. In my personal experience, She has a LOT of presence in apartments and shelters (especially shelters), as they are inherently liminal living situations.

4) She presides over Dogs and Polecats (like a weasel or ferret) and Horses, so I view Her as a goddess with dominion over all domesticated pets.

5) Hekate faces the three directions the roads lead at a Y- or T-junction, so in my personal practice I understand The Horned God to stand at Hekate's back and watch The Wild Way for Her. On my altar I have my representation of The Horned God facing away from me. Hekate did call me a sneak for that one, though, so YMMV.

6) I get the vibe she doesn't like to share altar space so she'll be getting a bookshelf of her own soon. You can use keys, the triple moon, and various momento mori (like bones, or the charm I made with a sprig of dead rosemary and a beetle carcass) to represent her in an altar space.

7) Herbs and Plants: Garlic, Yew, Mandrake, Dandelion, Belladonna, Cyclamen, Hemlock, Mint, Oak, Date Palms, Willow, Wolf's Bane. You'll notice many plants in her domain are poisonous or otherwise baneful. To this extent, she presides over all baneful plants.

8) She basically requires you to prioritize self-improvement and learning. Therapy and working out and reading and journaling can all be devoted to Her.

9) UPG but I also associate Her with mushrooms, moths, foxes, and rose thorns. She is carrion birds and the rust that eats at iron. She is the dark side of the moon and She likes it that way.

[aeternalight]

It's completely awful to see people ignore people with religious trauma. If you're going to be a witch who works with deities, it's completely immature to look down upon people with religious trauma.

I used make my witchcraft to be completely secular because I had unaddressed religious trauma and the idea of worshipping or even working with a deity was triggering to me. I may work with norse, celtic, egyptian and greek deities now, I may connect to deities in general now, but that's not how it used to be. I was really traumatized by the idea of something controlling me, and I felt very overwhelmed and upset by them in general. One of the first deities I worked with was Artemis, and she showed me it's okay to not "belong to anyone", that I'm allowed to be free and choose freedom, that I dictate my own beliefs and no one else can do that for me.

I won't look down on the person I used to be, just because some people can't fathom why people may feel upset by deities or by religion as a whole. It's not the "progressive" take you were hoping for. It's not suddenly "progressive" to be into paganism or religion or whatever. At least in western society, many children are still being abused by different sects of the christian faith, they are being abused by the christian culture and are forced to face that everyday.

It is not fair to pretend like it's all fine and dandy, that religion doesn't hurt people. It does. It surely has. Be nice to people who have religious trauma, we may overcome it and deal with it in our own ways, but that doesn't mean you just get to disrespect people because it makes you uncomfortable to face people like that.

We all have to face complicated and complex experiences with religion and spiritual beliefs, you don't just get to ignore it because it suits you.

[aeternalight]

For one thing, worshipping deities is not the same thing as working with them. Worshipping often entails more offerings and such, such as celebrating their holidays or surrounding your religious beliefs around them. And doing prayers with them, likely more often.

But for me, I don't worship, I work with deities. I feel like it's a more mutual relationship, and they help me deal with my health and healing. There's mainly some goal in mind.

Like I started working with Hekate very recently, and she wants to help me focus on my physical health and stop just mindlessly going about day by day. It's a mutual thing, so we have to respect each other and set boundaries. It's like reaching out to a mentor or a teacher. And then for another example, I work with Apollo, and he helps me love myself and learn to love myself, like letting me dance and sing with him, no matter how good I am at it, he enjoys seeing me enjoy life, and he helps me with healing that way. Apollo is like a friend/mysterious force, and sometimes helps me connect to my soul father.

You are able to admire them and worship them, and work with them, but I would recommend asking them about what to do or what would be the best way to connect with them. Deities consider your feelings and thoughts, they want to help you feel whole and happy, they want to push you towards better things.

Also you don't need to be greek or anything, many deities don't mind or care where your vessel is from, they don't really have human restrictions. You just have to research how to be respectful to them, while communicating to them in a respectful way. Different deities have different ways of how they want to be talked to.

Some deities would like altars, some would like monthly offerings, some deities would rather to work with your schedule and availability, etc. You just have to tell them what you're able to do and what you're okay with. Just don't be lazy with them, there's a difference between cutting corners and actually struggling to do certain things. Like I'm a mage (witch) with unmedicated ADHD, I struggle heavily with executive dysfunction and cannot do certain things all the time, my deity work is kind of spontaneous, but I want to make it a part of my life more. And I'm trying to incorporate it. Just put your heart into the things you do and deities will notice. <3

Genuine question-

I always see people talking about their deities reaching out to them and having conversations, seeing them, getting help or guidance, WORKING with them. How do people do this and what does it mean to work with a deity?

I would love to learn more about how to worship my deities better. Anything. Could someone reach out to me? I just want to learn more and it’s so hard to do it online, I’m not greek, I still consider myself relatively new to this. I believe in my deities and admire them, it’s just hard and I don’t know if my efforts are working towards anything, could someone teach me more?

[aeternalight]

“Hekate” - Ameluria

[aeternalight]

“I am learning to love, cherish, and nurture my body. For it is my home.”

🍲🧹🤎🧶🪶🍯🪶🧶🤎🧹🍲

[aeternalight]

ﾟ⊹ ˚ · goddess hekate ･ ﾟ⊹ ˚ ·

[aeternalight]

🚩🚩"Witch/Pagan" community PSA 🚩🚩

Goêteia is not evil, you dipshits.

I'm so sick of these neo-pagans getting all their information from Tumblr, Pinterest and TikTok.

Goêteia is literally just the Greek term for magic, for sorcery, which were one and the same.

Ancient Greece didn't have the word "witchcraft" it had Goêteia, and then later mageia, where we get our modern term magic from, although mageia was a misappropriated term from Zoroastrian priests or Magi.

It's so funny seeing baby witches claim Goêteia to be evil on one hand, then on the other worshipping Hekate, literally the goddess of Goêteia. The goddess of sorcerers and necromancy.

It screams puritanical morality policing. It's such a christian-centered way of looking at ancient religion.

Y'all need to open a damn book.

Goêteia was described as a "lesser" form of magic (mainly in the later Medieval period, roughly starting around the 8th century,) not meaning any less powerful, just simply the easiest or "closest" thus "lower" magic to achieve. This ability to more easily achieve success in magic was later taken and used by christian theologians to paint goêteia and Goêtes as "lesser practitioners."

There does seem to be little difference between Theurgy and goêteia as well,

Surprise!

Both Goêteia and Theurgy sharing the same goddamn workings through evocations of gods, the animation of statues, mediumship or what could be considered "divine possession" having a god or spirit speak through you, the use of iynx wheels / iynges, and mystery rites.

The only 'real' difference Theurgists claim, is that they "don't practice secularly/for selfish reasons" but supposedly rather to become closer to the divine. It's a nice sentiment, but total bullshit, because even in the Theurgic doctrine the Chaldean Oracles they bind the goddess Hekate to do their will.

Additionally, Theurgists had a more Neoplatonic belief, they essentially viewed a singular Oneness as supreme, the emanation from which all things return, a concept which was picked up by early christian theologians and is likely why while Goêtes were demonized in the later centuries mainly by early christians and christian philosophers, Theurgists on the other hand were seen as "pure" and "holier" despite Theurgical and Goêteic practices being pretty much exactly the same down to the tools and incantations.

(Agustine of Hippo for an example of these theologians, who wrote in "De civitate Dei contra Paganos", or "On the City of God Against the Pagans" how all "pagan" (non christian) gods and beliefs were secretly agents of Satan and evil, here to trick humanity into sin and that paganism, essentially any non christian faith, must be stopped–

He also wrote about how sorcerers/magicians (Goêtes) were charlatans, tricksters, that magic and sorcery were merely tricks of an invisible opposition to the divine and how only god could hold such supreme power. These ideas still seem to be deeply embedded into christian faith, particularly Orthodox and Evangelical, today.)

Practitioners of goêteia, the Goēs, was also understood to have the ability to initiate souls into mystery religions, or, in other words, to ensure through his superior knowledge of the Underworld and its workings that the souls under his care would receive preferential treatment after death, an easier way to paradise, such as the Orphic Hymns.

This likely also helped "other" the Goēs, as most practitioners of magic, of goêteia, of these mystery cults were made up of societies "unwanted" or marginalized people, such as women, foreigners, immigrants, the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. Early goêtes were described as being Thessalian (primarily women, particularly described as "old or decrepid") or. ethnically, not considered "fully Greek" to many of the era. Many critiques and fears of goêteia come from this "otherness," the fear the ruling classes of Greece had of groups they continued to harm, they feared the power they held within these mystery rites and practices.

With reliable accuracy from these critics, goêtes were (perceived to be) moral transgressors, who operated from the fringe of society in a private mago-mystical setting, offering their service for coin.

Or, in simpler terms, the Greeks were just really fucking racist

which is nothing new.

In fact, because goêteia itself is a synchronization of mainly Egyptian and Jewish magic, the Greeks and later christians went extra-hard into villifying it because they saw these people as lesser, as barbaric.

We have to understand where the fears and judgements of these critics were coming from, and continue to remain impartial. The ruling elite feared these practices because they feared losing their power, especially rich Greek men, and those early christian philosophers who saw everything outside their own faith as lies, manipulations, or tricks from "the Opposition" as well as the extremely racist and ethnocentric beliefs they held.