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She's been called many things throughout history - The Lady in Black, The Night Hag, Lilith, The Morrígan - and yet, she is always the same. Creepy, terrifyingly powerful, and malignant, she can appear as a potent seductress, the stuff of a nightmare, or as a wretched crone intent on poisoning humanity. She induces sleep paralysis. She is both golem and jinni, made from the dust of the earth and yet imbued with supernatural powers. Her disquieting image dates back to the most ancient stories in civilization - from Adam's first wife in Paradise to the succubus who would sit on the chest of her victims as they slept - she perpetuated the myth of the evil woman capable of stealing peace from the innocent. In each historical portrayal, she is uniquely terrifying and at the same time, remains a universal symbol of woman's unconquerable power. In most myths, she is chaos and she is ungodliness, but in every guise throughout history, she is a figure that can never be fully understood or vanquished.

Although most people recognize the Night Hag as a mythological figure, the paralyzing sleep condition related to her image is one of the most terrifying disorders in the medical world, as people often wake unable to breath, move, or speak - with the Night Hag sitting on their chests. This feeling of paralysis gives them the feeling of being "pinned" down by her as they struggle to escape from the pressure. Sufferers also complain of hallucinations, shooting pains, and a feeling of suffocation. Ancient stories of why this happens vary among cultures, but many agree these nightly episodes are the result of a visit from the infamous Night Hag. She has an array of magical powers and can transmit "demon fever" to her victims by biting them and invading their dreams.

Given the medical world's lack of compelling explanations for the (incredibly widespread and well-documented) phenomenon, many people believe it is the result of supernatural forces, ghosts, or demons who are looking to terrify the living. This sleep syndrome happens to people of all races, ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds and is reported to have happened to about 15% of the population during their lifetimes. Even though this sleep condition has been documented since ancient times, modern medicine holds that it is generally not harmful and only lasts a few moments before the sleeper fully recovers. Further research suggests that sufferers may be predisposed to this condition through traumatic events or severe disruptions in life.

Although there have been endless reports of the Night Hag, she is generally perceived as a presence that watches and lurks, always staying out of direct sight. She is a dark figure that can bring about auditory hallucinations - strange voices, ringing, buzzing, scraping, and laughing sounds - and strike fear in the hearts of those around her.

But the Night Hag is not just a witch from dreamland, she is a pervasive female figure, well-documented throughout history. She is mostly known as Lilith - a seductress, a heroine, a murderer, and the embodiment of all female wiles and secrets. For 4,000 years, she has wandered the earth as a sinister power who has preyed on pregnant women, eaten infants, and terrified the innocent with her dark knowledge. She has been an intrinsic part of the literary and artistic imagination, illustrated in some of the oldest writings ever discovered. Her reputation as a mighty jezebel began in Babylonian demonology and moved through the world of the ancient Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, and Greeks. She can be found in the Bible, the Talmud, and in Jewish writings from the Middle Ages. Cast as the witch, the Eve, and the succubus, the image of the Night Hag has made a permanent mark on the dark history of the world.

Mostly known as Lilith throughout history, the Night Hag's name derives from the Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits called the Lilītu. Although they are often perceived as beautiful and alluring, these dangerous spirits seek the destruction of anyone they dislike. Although they are fertile and able to bear the children of men, they tend to target pregnant women and babies or act aggressively toward those they want to intimidate. The Lilītu dwell in the desert and other isolated, dark spaces and have poisonous breasts filled with lethal liquid instead of milk.

The Night Hag is always female and can reproduce by mating with a male of any species, human or animal, although typically she opts for a civilized race. Once she has impregnated herself, she usually kills her mate and goes on to bear a child who appears normal with black or bluish hair. Disguised as a normal woman, she usually gives this child up for adoption - unless the child is a girl, in which case she returns to transform the girl into a similar Hag once she reaches puberty.

Her image as a darkly feminine jinn continued until the 7th century at which time her reputation became even more sinister. Sometime around the year 1000 CE, an anonymous text titled The Alphabet of Ben Sira was introduced to the Jewish community. In it, Lilith plays a big part as the winged destroyer who preys on the innocent, and she is also a major player in the history of the world - she is Adam's first wife, the one before Eve, who leaves Eden because she does not want to be inferior to man. In this fanciful addition to the age-old Biblical tale, the Almighty fashioned a woman for Adam named Lilith who was supposed to serve as his loyal companion. But Lilith is not interested in her "wifely duties" and does not want to lie under Adam during sex. She wants to be on top, literally and figuratively, in her rightful place as a free and powerful woman. She does not want to rule over Adam - she just wants to be equal considering they are "both created from the earth."

Much to the chagrin of the Creator, Lilith continued to fight with Adam and eventually became so frustrated with his arrogance that she brazenly spoke the sacred Tetragrammaton of the lord, Yahweh, which was reserved only for holy priests. In doing this, she shockingly proved her unworthiness to live in Paradise with Adam. As a result, she flew away a more powerful being, set up to become a supernatural character who is of the earth and yet not beholden to it.

Outside of the Bible, the most legitimate source on Lilith is found in an ancient book called the Zohar which is the foundational work of the Kabbalah. In this text, scriptural interpretations are discussed as well as the essence of God, redemption, the nature of souls, and the structure of the universe. The Zohar speaks specifically to the "true self" and the relationship between God's energy and humans, and it's one of the most respected volumes in Jewish mysticism.

Lilith is mentioned an astounding 27 times in this text. And depictions of her support the idea that she was created at the time of Adam from the dust of the earth. She is also described as the unsuitable wife of God's first man and the demon who inhabited the serpent's body to tempt the original Eve. In this way, the fall of man was not only the result of female weakness but also of woman's perniciousness. According to the Zohar, Lilith was in league with Satan and represented the ultimate female figure of wickedness, wandering "about at night time, vexing the sons of men and causing them to defile themselves" and even disguisng herself as the Queen of Sheba to seduce King Solomon. But he spied her hairy legs and recognized her as the beastly imposter she was.

Known primarily as a fantasy creature from various folkloric tales, the Night Hag is described as an incredibly evil and merciless woman who exists in her own fiendish plane, mostly invisible to the eyes of men. She is most commonly used to explain the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, although her disquieting figure has pervaded the centuries, weaving its way through endless religious and cultural texts. She is believed to be many things - a malevolent witch, a succubus, a devious woman, a nightmare - who has the power to immobilize a person by sitting on their chest as they sleep, thereby haunting them in their dreams. She possesses a hatred of all things beautiful and is sometimes described as having black skin, burning red eyes, and talons for fingers. People who have suffered from this sleep condition sometimes called "Old Hag Syndrome" attributed the "presence" they feel to the Night Hag and her demonic ability to bring terror to the peaceful realm of sleep.

The first time we see Lilith in history is when she appears in the ancient poem, Epic of Gilgamesh, which is often regarded as the earliest surviving piece of great literature. Dating back to approximately 2,000 BCE, the story tells the tale of the world's first hero, Gilgamesh, who searches in vain for the secret to eternal life. When he tries to help the goddess of erotic love and war cut down a tree she needs to fashion herself a throne, they both discover the wood has been plagued by a triumvirate of evil spirits - the serpent, the Zu-bird, and the demoness Lilith who has used the center of the tree to set up her home. Gilgamesh dons his armor and slays the two beasts, sending Lilith fleeing into the desert where she licks her wounds.

Sitting in the British Museum is an ancient artifact that further represents this story known as the Burney Relief. The Babylonian relief depicts a beautiful, naked sylph with bird-like features who stands atop two lions and between two owls. Lilith's connection to the owl as a predatory and nocturnal bird also reaffirms her reputation as a demoness of the night who flies about the underworld, delivering night terrors to those who sleep.

Although brief, Lilith does appear in the Bible, specifically in Isaiah 34:14, when a sword-yielding Yahweh seeks the destruction of the infidel Edomites who were long-time enemies of the ancient Israelites. He finds himself in a chaotic desert of purgatorial disdain, where goat-demons and wildcats wander without purpose, and the nefarious she-devil Lilith is known to reside. She does not receive much more description than this in the Bible; however, historians assume that this is solely because she didn't need one - people of that time already knew of her from oral histories and artistic depictions. Because she is again wandering in the desert, her personage can be directly linked to the Gilgamesh story and establishes her as a legitimate figure in human history. And even though a formal reference to Lilith is only made once, one could argue that the notion of the ever-curious Eve who kicks off the Fall of man suffers the same descriptive parsimony.

The wilderness where she finds herself symbolizes the barrenness of both her body and mind, where there is no warmth, life, or companionship. Lilith, in all her dark female glory, is the opposite of the masculine world and has been exiled as such to a wasteland where she can never prosper. It is at this point in English translations of the Bible where the name Lilith becomes interchangeable with "the night hag" or the "night monster." Hebrew texts and certain biblical depictions label her as "Lilith" but in other versions, her image is more akin to a bird or creature of the night.

The dark image of Lilith resurfaces in The Dead Sea Scrolls, which were discovered in ancient caves around the Jordan River in what is now the West Bank. These writings are believed to date back as far as the 8th century BCE and include manuscripts of considerable historical, religious, and linguistic significance, all of which predate the Bible and the ancient religious beliefs of Judaism. They are the stories that came before the stories - and Lilith is there, woven into the text like a shadowy minx who has haunted the world since the beginning of time.

In the hymn Song for a Sage, possibly used for exorcisms, Lilith appears again as a target the Sage would like to destroy. Along with the "bastard spirits, the demons, and those that strike suddenly... and make to desolate their heart," Lilith finds company. Again, her image as a murky, dangerous she-devil delivers a lot of terror without much description. This characterization is echoed in the Bible and becomes a pervasive image in future depictions.

One of the oldest religious texts in the world is the Talmud, which contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis, dates back the 5th century BCE, and is the basis for all Jewish law and discussion. Even here, Lilith appears as a long-haired demon with wings who could seduce men in seconds or have undetected sex with them while they slept. In Judaism, unwholesome sexual practices were often linked to the image of Lilith as a way to explain why men were weakened against their will. Although based on intellectual study, the Talmud does nothing to dispel the reputation of Lilith - instead, it recommends people do not sleep alone at night for fear Lilith will slay them.

Because Lilith terrorized society for centuries, many incantations and amulets were created to ward off her evil power. One such artifact dating back to the 8th century BCE was discovered in Syria in 1933 and clearly illustrates the ancient fear of this winged demon. This limestone plaque (which likely hung in the home of a pregnant woman) served as a protector against Lilith who was believed to always be lurking at the door and blocking out the light. One translation of the artifact reads, "O you who fly in the darkened rooms, be off with you this instant, this instant, Lilith. Thief and breaker of bones." It was believed Lilith would see her name written on the plaque and flee out of fear of being seen, as she was presumed to enjoy the act of sneaking up on the unsuspecting. The plaque thus offered protection from her malevolent intentions and kept the innocent mother and child safe. Ancient people believed there were always supernatural forces at work just looking to bring about destruction - much like the Evil Eye - and Lilith bore the face of this demon. These amulets and protections surely helped these impressionable people cope with the fear of infant mortality and the death of young mothers.

People living in the Jewish colony of Nippur in Babylonia thousands of years ago also knew and feared the figure of Lilith. Numerous ceramic bowls used for incantations have been uncovered in the area, revealing detailed Aramic inscriptions of spells and protections. These artifacts are an excellent illustration of an average citizen's beliefs about Lilith. According to their ancient beliefs, such demons not only killed infants but they could also produce depraved offspring by fornicating with men.

one of her more flattering depictions, Irish mythology identifies the night hag as The Morrígan, or the phantom queen who is linked to fate and portents of death. In this role, she returns to her bird-like figure, appearing as a crow who flies over a battlefield, a harbinger of things to come. Often linked to the Valkyries in Norse mythology, the Morrígan is a powerful figure associated with wealth and strength. This female figure of the Gaelic Morrígan is linked to the classic image of Lilith in a 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible known as the Vulgate. In the text, she is described as "a monster in female form, that is a morrígan" who asserts her power over the story's hero Cúchulainn and predicts his death in battle. Once his battle has begun, however, the Morrígan returns in human form to offer him her body and her protection, but he rejects her offer. Spurned by the young hero, she intervenes in his next battle and tries to destroy him - but she is unsuccessful and Cúchulainn prevails.

In Irish folklore, she is also associated with the banshee who is a symbol of imminent death. She has been described as a youthful warrior-hunter who lives on the edge of civilized society and partakes in lawlessness as a way to garner strength and influence. But she is also regularly seen a sexualized figure connected to fertility, sovereignty, and protection. Her image is interwoven into the very fiber of Irish mythology and is consecrated with holy sites in wild areas and endless oral traditions.

Looking back through literary history, there are endless representations of Lilith-inspired characters, all of whom possess a ghastly beauty and deep-seated desire to bring about the ruination of happiness. From C.S. Lewis's White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia who puts an endless freeze on the world and gets destroyed by King Aslan to the deadly matron in Hansel and Gretel who wants to eat the flesh of children, literature is rife with demonic and sexually deviant female figures who represent an inversion of the norm. Through these various depictions of the quintessential hag, it is easy to see how the ancient occult gave rise to a literary tradition of fear of the female unknown.

As humans evolve and change with time, Lilith perseveres because she is eternal - she is the original Eve, the scapegoat of man, and an undeniable part of humans' shared psychological framework. Through her, civilization has tried to untangle the anxieties and complexities around female power and find a way to understand that which can never be fully explained.

Today, the image of Lilith receives a more compassionate reading than it has historically been given and has even made a resurgence as a feminist figure who demanded her own intellectual and sexual autonomy. In the modern parable The Coming of Lilith by Judith Plaskow, Lilith becomes a more intelligible and likable character. As she tells it, Lilith feels lonely when she is exiled from Eden and tried to reconcile with Adam, and he will not accept her back as he has been given Eve as a new wife. One day, Eve sees Lilith on the other side of the wall in Paradise and recognizes her as being another woman like herself. She swings on a branch and lands on the other side, making friends with Lilith and discovering a common bond of friendship. Through this bonding of the two original female figures, "sisterhood grew between them" and became a deeply puzzling and alarming fact for both man and God.

Other authors have gone on to describe Lilith's dilemma as a natural one, the result of the world's impossible request: to deny one's very nature as a human being. The evil figure of Lilith seen throughout history is now cast as a sympathetic figure who feels herself to be God's "after-whim" who has no real purpose in Paradise other than to reflect the desires of Adam. As a feminist misfit, she escaped her confines and tried to find happiness, but all she discovered as a solitary female was loneliness and external resentment. Through this new lens, her frightening night flights are transposed into a very human journey to find companionship in a world full of fear.

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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It is not your light that reincarnates, it is your dark...If you do not become conscious of your shadow, you will reincarnate until you do...hecate is the force that makes you conscious of your shadow~ jade sol Luna

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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#witchylife

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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The Little People are said to be the dispossessed early tribes of the British Isles.

They faded away into inhabited places, growing smaller and smaller with time as they were forgotten and passed into legend.

The Tuatha de Danann, People of the Goddess Dana, ruled Ireland before the Milasian invasion.

They were driven underground where they became the Daoine Sidhe fairies.

The word Fairy is derived from the ancient "faunoe o fatuoe" which, in the pagan mythology, indicated the faun's (deer) companions, creatures endowed with power of foretelling the future and ruling the human events.

The word Fairy also comes from "fatigue", which in Middle Ages was synonymous with "wild woman", that is woman of woods, waters and, in general, of the natural world.

Fairies are super natural creatures endowed with magic power, thanks to which they can change their appearance and make it change to the others.

They frequent caves, rocks, hills, woods and sources; they are ready to help innocents and victims of persecution; they make up for a wrong, they avenge an offense, but they also can be malicious and vengeful.

According to tradition, they are present at men's birth in order to give them special gifts and influence their existence in a benevolent or malevolent way.

Fairies are naturally complicated and their behavior is ruled by a moral code which is very different from ours.

Most of these little creatures, apart their size, appearance and nature, have hidden powers and are able to give, as much as they please, good and bad luck.

Therefore, the more you know about Fairies, the best chances you have to come out of an encounter unscathed.

When you have dealings with Fairies it is of primary importance that you treat them with kindness and all respect.

It is too easy to offend them and Heaven help you if you take liberties with them

Fairies are constantly attracted by every form of creativeness and, most of all, by instants of deep feeling, which they want to share.

Lovers, poets, artists, writers, sculptors, weavers, musicians and all arts have to admit they are in debt to a unidentifiable force, which is invisible, capricious, sensible, delicate, incomprehensible and powerful, called "inspiration" or "Muse" which, when it is present, is generally irresistible.

Fairy's world is full of dark enchantment, of charming beauty, of incredible ugliness, of hard superficiality, of spirit, malice, joy and inspiration, of terror, laughter, love and tragedy. Their world is richer than fairy-tales make believe.

Special Dates for Fairies

Midsummer's Eve (June 24). On Midsummer's Eve the fairies are at their merriest

Fairy Food

When it comes to fairy food, we read stories to discover that mallow fruits are fairy cheeses, and dogwood fruits are pixie pears.

Little cakes are another favorite fairy food, and if they are made with saffron, they are especially cherished since saffron is highly valued by fairies.

What do Fairies Love ?

Fairies love beauty and splendor, grace of movement, music and pleasure, everything in fact that is artistic.

They do not like any sort of violent, brutal enjoyment.

They hate greedy people who gather the last bit of grain, or drain the last bit of milk from the glass, or pluck the trees bare of fruit leaving nothing for the spirits who wander by in the moonlight.

Always leave a bit of milk or drink in your glass at a feast and never pick the last fruit from the tree.

Don't stay up too late either, for fairies like to gather round after the family is in bed and drink and eat.

If treated well, the fairies will bestow good fortune and reveal the mysteries of plant herbs. For acts of kindness bestowed upon the spirits, fairy blessings will come in the form of unexpected good luck.

Fairies could bestow good fortune on people, but if they felt offended they could cast spells and cause mischievous trouble.

Therefore be kind to a vagabond, for he may be a fairy prince in disguise, who has come to test the depth of your charity, and of the generous nature that can give liberally out of pure love and kindliness to those who are in need, and not in hope of a reward.

The most popular pastimes of fairies are music and dancing.

At night the fairies would rise from their homes and come out to dance away the hours of darkness.

They especially love to dance in the evening of the full moon.

When the morning sun begins to rise, the fairies vanish.

Many mortals were enticed by the beauty of dancing fairies and sought to watch them dance at night.

But this was very dangerous, because if the fairies lured and trapped a mortal, the mortal could be forced to dance all night until they collapsed from exhaustion.

Fairy music is more melodious than human music and there are many songs and tunes which are said to have originated from the fairies.

Many pipers and fiddlers of Europe learned their songs from the fairies.

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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Leanansidhe (Lhiannanshee): The Lhiannan Shee of the Isle of Man is said to be a vampirish fairy who attached herself to one man, to whom she appeared irresistibly beautiful, but invisible to everyone else. If he yielded to her, he was ruined body and soul. The Irish Leanan Sidhe is known as the inspiration of poets and minstrels. She would roam the night, searching for romantic men to inspire with eloquence of word and beautiful music while in her embrace, and would draw from their life force until he would die. Both names mean "fairy Sweetheart". In Scotland, the Leannan Sith was a term used to denote a fairy lover of either sex. In fact, the translators of the Bible into Scots Gaelic used this term, and the Scots took this as Biblical proof of the existence of fairies. The Lhiannan Shee of Ballfletcher was the tutrelary fairy of the Fletchers, and gave them the fairy cup, which was drank from every Christmas in her honor. She is said to haunt wells and springs.

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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Hecate I am

Hecate I am, black mother, the elder.

My face is wrinkled like an old stone.

My eyes are black as pitch, my white hair like snow.

I am dark night without moon.

I lead the place of the wild hunt with my black power

By Winter at midnight

My Kingdom begins on the night of samhain

And it lasts until the day of light light.

For the witches, I am your divine queen

Its leader, for centuries

I teach the magical power extremely strong

I teach them to differentiate right from wrong.

But if they do what's wrong my anger, they'll make them pay for it

And my justice will cause their fates on earth to be marked.

Because I am justice, I am death, I am justice, black moon

I am wisdom and love and condemnation of evil.

I keep every crossroads of all places

Who travels with evil must be careful!

I take their soul and make them insane.

So they'll never be lucky enough to cross my path again.

I'm terrible, kind and ruthless.

What you see in me is yourself.

When your time comes, I will call you to me

To pass the place of the wild hunt until its rebirth.

Then come, my daughter witch

Follow my path

From Magic Power, don't be afraid of my fury.

If you have courage, you will be my priestess

The choice is yours, what you choose will happen.

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lunafaerywitch-blog · 6 years ago

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Nyx is the Greek Goddess of Night. She is its personification, and therefore, can be represented by a veil of dark mists although she is more often than not depicted as a beautiful woman clothed in dark robes, wearing a long veil on which shine the stars. Another one of Her representations in ancient arts would be a winged goddess.

She rides a chariot pulled by two to four horses as She covers the light sky with Her darkness and leaves the stars in Her trail. Two of Her sons accompany Her on Her journey: Hypnos (God of Sleep) and Thanatos (God of Death).

Daughter of Chaos, She is older than Her sister the Earth Gaia, as She was one of the first born elemental gods and goddesses who ruled over confusion in the void of emptiness.

She married Her younger brother Erebus, with whom she conceived Aether (God of Light) and Hemera (Goddess of the Day). Then later, on Her own: Moros (Doom), Ker (Destruction), Thanatos, Hypnos, Momus (Blame), Oizys (Distress), the Hesperides, the Moirai (Fates), Nemesis (Divine Retribution), Apate (Deceit), Philotes (Friendship), Geras (Old Age) and Eris (Strife).

ATTRIBUTES

As we can see, Nyx was the mother of many children, for whom She cared deeply and fiercely. During the day, She nurtured them in their home, located in Tartarus, in the depths of Hades' Underworld.

When the evening starts, She leaves Her house, as Hemera enters it, to start Her journey and grant the world some rest after the day.

Nyx is like every other goddess, either helpful or harmful to mankind, although She is a bit more extreme. Indeed, She can bring either sleep or death depending on the situation.

But in the dark of the Night, many frightful and inexplicable things can happen; hence, why She has also been attributed the power over illness, suffering, dreams, misfortunes, quarrels, war and murder.

Knowing that, we can understand that the people most devoted to Her were thieves and fugitives as well as lovers.

Nyx is also the supreme ruler of prophetic power. According to Greek traveler and geographer Pausaias, She had an oracle on the Acropolis in Megara.

But still, She was rarely the focus of cults. If you were looking for Her, you could see Her lurking in the background of other cults. Thus, there was a statue called Nyx in the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Spartans also had a cult of Sleep and Death, conceived as twins.

So, when She is not forgotten, Nyx is seen as a malevolent being. But if we choose to look past this, we most certainly can recognize Her power and Her sense of motherhood. A good example of that can be found in the Iliad. During the Trojan War, Hera asked Hypnos to put Zeus to sleep while She led his son Heracles to his death. When he awoke, Zeus was driven mad by the loss of his son and threatened to unleash his wrath on Hypnos. But the God of Sleep fled to his mother's home where Zeus dared not touch him in fear of angering Nyx. Hypnos caused trouble for Zeus a few more times after this incident, but always scurried right back to his powerful mother afterwards.

The way Zeus feared Nyx as She was older and more powerful than he may remind us of how the Patriarchy feared the ancient Goddess.

Nyx is there to remind us of the immense power that lies within us. She teaches us not to be afraid of it, but to embrace it and to use it to protect those we care for. It is only when we stop being afraid of the darkness that we can see the truth, as it is often hidden.

Nyx also reminds us that life is not always bright. It has its share of good and bad, and we must seek balance.

CORRESPONDENCES

Nyx is most frequently associated with the Moon so the day of the week associated with Her is Monday.

Her colors are black and silver. Her symbols are stars on a black veil and a crescent moon.

Animals protected by Her are bats and owls, as well as other feared animals associated with the night such as black cats.

During the year, Her presence is predominant around Yule, when the nights are the longest.

Finally, stones associated with Her are agates, which protect against bad dreams and stress, and most importantly moonstones. Their power is naturally the strongest when it is a full moon. They are believed to be a reflection of their owner and can help women align themselves with the universe and find their path.

RITUAL

Since there aren't really any rituals to honor Nyx, I wrote one for this project.

This ritual is meant to help you grow more confident as you embrace Nyx, ask Her to help you to see what's hidden, and to not fear the unknown.

It should be performed on a Full Moon, preferably outside or by a window, just before going to bed. Being able to gaze at the stars would help a lot, but if they are not visible you can always imagine them.

Surround yourself with white or silvery candles to represent the stars that follow Nyx in Her path.

For offerings to Nyx, consider flowers that only bloom in the night such as four o'clock flowers, as well as dark fruits such as blackberries, blueberries or plums.

Use white sage to purify your sacred space. You can also use lavender to call on to Nyx's child Eros (God of Love) for positive energy and is always a plus when performing this ritual. Also, Eros’ presence will shield you from Nyx's other children who may have a more negative impact.

Before starting your ritual, place a veil on your head, as Nyx is associated with the Veil of the Night.

To cast your circle, your hands are perfectly fine, but if using a wooden wand, ebony would be a good choice (Although be mindful that this is a powerful type of wood and should be used carefully.)

Kneel on or in front of a piece of black cloth on which you will place two moonstones to represent and show respect to Nyx's sons Hypnos and Thanatos who always accompany Her.

When inviting Nyx to join you, you can chant Lord Byron's poem She Walks in Beauty.

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

When praying to Nyx, hold the moonstones in your hands and humbly ask for Her guidance and Her strength, speak with your heart, trust Her with your fears and hopes. These are your only guidelines.

Lift the veil after your prayer or poem is complete and while you are thanking Nyx for listening. Rise as the veil falls to symbolize your new confidence and resolve. (Be mindful of the candles! You want to make sure you have enough room to move freely and prevent the veil from catching fire. If you do not have enough room, remove the veil carefully and set it aside.)

After you have thanked Nyx and Her children by kissing the two moonstones, open your circle by extinguishing the candles.

Leave the fruit and flowers outside your window if possible and put the moonstones under your pillow or bed. Nyx may share some of Her wisdom with you through a dream.

Remember to release the energy raised during the ritual. You might want to do that by sending it out to the rest of the world or to some people who might need a blessing during the night.

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