понедељак, 15. октобар 2012.

Yggdrasil: The World Tree


Yggdrasil: The World Tree


In order to understand the geography of the Nine Worlds, it is crucial to start with Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Conceptions of the World Tree have been found in tribal societies from Siberia to Polynesia; they differ in some aspects, but generally come with some kind of upper world in the top branches of the tree, some kind of ancestral world of the Dead at the roots, and various other worlds in the middle. It has been theorized that they are different trees on the same model, or that they are the same tree existing in many different dimensions, with different worlds in each, which seems more right to me somehow.
We refer to the dimension of the Tree explored by the ancient Norse/Germanic/Saxon peoples as Yggdrasil. Ygg is a byname of Odin, and Yggdrasil means "Odin's steed", a kenning. This doesn't mean that Odin owns or controls the Tree - he doesn't - but he was hung on it once as part of a pain ordeal, and the reference is to him "riding" the tree in this way. The Tree itself is sentient, and has been known to send messages to people (and through them), but the messages are usually long, slow, and cryptic. The Tree is not a humanlike being, and its way of knowing and communicating is much longer and slower than ours.
Yggdrasil exists in a void of nothingness called Ginnungagap. Nine worlds spin around the tree - Asgard, Ljossalfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim, Midgard, Muspellheim, Svartalfheim/Nidavellir, Niflheim, and Helheim. When I term them "worlds", it must be recalled that they are exactly that. The ancient Norse, not understanding the concept of a round world, or for that matter anything larger than their own small flat piece of Earth, told of them in the only ways that they could conceive of - as countries or continents on a flat plane. They spoke of moving between worlds as one would move from Germany to France (by crossing a river) or from Denmark to Britain (by crossing an ocean).
Here's where things get strange. The geography and physics of the space around the Tree is not like our extremely physical world. Each of the Nine Worlds is like a small pocket world, with its own time, seasons, year, etc. They don't line up with each other. Between each of the worlds is a world-barrier of some sort. When you pass through it from one world to the next, the time of day and year will be different. In Jotunheim, it's spring and the middle of a morning thunderstorm; in Vanaheim it's early autumn and a clear, crisp evening is falling over the golden leaves. The feeling as you pass from one world to another is subtle but definite. It is more apparent to your astral body than your physical one, and the physical effects of worldwalking are discussed in the chapters on how to do it.
I've noticed that with a few specific exceptions, the world-barriers tend to be on water - large rivers or ocean. It may be that water holds a world-barrier better, or that it tends to collect around the "edges" of worlds. The idea of three-dimensional worlds that still somehow "butt up" against each other is pretty strange to us, but this is just one of those things that we have to take with the hope that eventually it will be better explained. In the meantime, it's a matter of using what we know, even if we can't understand it.
In talking to different spirit-workers, there seem to be two different conceptions of how the worlds are arranged around the Tree. The first conception sees the worlds as arranged in flat layers, with Midgard in the center of the middle layer. The tree grows up through its middle, and it is surrounded by Muspellheim, Vanaheim, Niflheim, and Jotunheim. Ljossalfheim is suspended above it, with Asgard above that. Svartalfheim is suspended below it, with Helheim below that. The tree pass through the middle of five worlds like a central axis. Some theorists have conceived this arrangement as positively molecular in its neatness. Spirit-workers who actually visit the Nine Worlds admit that it is far less neatly arranged once you are actually there.
The other conception is that the worlds are arranged in a spiral around the Tree, in the order listed at the beginning of this chapter. While one world might be "under" another on the spiral, it can be reached by going off the "far edge" and downward; thus both Jotunheim and Niflheim can technically be to the north of Midgard. In this conception, Midgard is simply one world in a line, rather than the central point.
I should mention now that when we are talking about the relationship of worlds to each other, the concepts of "north", "south", "east" and "west" are not the same as they are in our single physical world. It's more as if one divided the space occupied by the Tree into four quarters and then arbitrarily decided that they corresponded to those four directions -i.e. if we declare this direction randomly south, then the point at ninety degrees to it must be west, etc. We use these terms because they are what our ancestors understood, and they work as well as any for these complicated concepts. 



Denizens: Yggdrasil is generally pictured as an ash tree, but this may be human interpretation. On the very top of the tree sits an eagle, Hraesvelg ("Corpse-Eater"), who is actually a wind-giant locked in eagle form. He is very old, of the first generation of Ymir's kin. Winds - or rather, energy currents - blow from his wings, and are controlled by the wind-deer. At the bottom of the tree, crawling back and forth between Helheim and Yggdrasil's exposed root in Niflheim, is the great dragon Nidhogg. She gnaws on Yggdrasil's root, forcing it ever into new growth. Ratatosk, a squirrel-wight whose name means "Teeth That Find", runs up and down the bark of the tree carrying messages (mostly insults) between Hraesvelg and Nidhogg. All three of them do not generally talk to most visitors and are not very approachable.
Four deer run through the upper branches. They are the keepers of the power of the Four winds, and are named Duneyr (Rest), Durathor (Slumber), Dvalin and Dain. Dvalin was once a Duergar, the son of the great Duergar leader Dvalin the Old. Dain was once an Alfar lord. Duneyr and Durathor were both mortals from Midgard. All four agreed to take on the forms of immortal deer and control the winds that blow from world to world.
This does not mean that they necessarily control the atmospheres of the various worlds. However, there are "winds" - currents of energy, really - that "blow" from world to world, and can sweep things and beings with them. Magically skilled folk can learn to "ride" these currents, but attempting to control them for one's own purpose will bring one or more of the Wind Deer down upon you. While they do not engage in combat as such, their control of the winds means that they can sweep you quite literally off of Yggdrasil and into Ginnungagap.
The Guardians of the Four Directions are four Duergar known as Austri, Vestri, Sudri, and Nordri. Actually, it is unknown as to whether they are or ever were actually Duergar, or (more likely) whether they are divine entities who simply take on Duergar form. They are quite capable, and often do, take on other forms as well - elemental spirit-forms, birds, horses, dragons, etc. The Duergar of Nidavellir worship them as gods, and consider them to be divine entities who give the race of Duergar the honor of taking their forms. The four of them can be called on to help out if you have lost your way, as they know all the paths between worlds (and many within worlds) like the backs of their hands. They like to be invoked and poured for at gatherings and workings, but other wise do not require much in the way of offerings.
History: In the beginning there was the Void, and the Void was called Ginnungagap. That eternal nothingness, where there is neither existence nor nonexistence, lies at the beginning of many creation myths. Then, somehow, the Tree came into existence, and around it spun the first three worlds that came into being: Niflheim, the world of ice and frost and mist, with the great well Hvergelmir, the Roaring Kettle; Muspellheim, the world of fire, and Jormungrund, or 'Giant-Land", the underworld that lay beneath these two. (This last world is rarely mentioned, and it is not the same as Jotunheim, which came later. It was the land of the Dead.) Surt the Black was apparently already living in Muspellheim; whether he was there alone is unknown. This would, however, make Surt the oldest living creature in the Nine Worlds, a fact about which he is silent.
Niflheim and Muspellheim drifted in and out of each other's orbits. Finally, they drew close enough together that melted ice from Niflheim flowed out over the gap and formed the river Elivagar, whose every particle held a shard of ice-poison. This ice piled up into an iceberg, but it slowly melted as Muspellheim grew closer. As it melted, it revealed the body of a sleeping giant, Ymir. Ymir was an enormous mountain-sized frost-etin, without much of a brain; he mostly lay there semi-paralyzed and mewed.
Also thawing out of the ice was a great cow, Audumhla. Ymir suckled on her udders and found nourishment; she licked at the salty ice for her own food and uncovered yet another creature, a much smaller creature named Buri, who would be the ancestor of the Aesir. Meanwhile, as Ymir slept, his sweat gave rise to a male and female etin, and his two legs rubbed together and gave birth to yet another male giant. Meanwhile, Buri grew up in the company of various giants. (There seems to be some discrepancy about how many giants were actually created; it may be that there were already some about before Ymir, or that more than just three were created. Like all creation stories, the reality of it was lost in the mists of the previous generations.) After many generations of giant-breeding, Buri had a son named Bor by an unnamed giantess, and Bor eventually sired three sons by another giantess named Bestla. These sons were Odin, Vili, and Ve, and they began all the trouble by taking it into their heads to kill the enormous, helpless Ymir.
Up until this point, the two worlds of Muspellheim and Niflheim were separated; the great void that lay between them was called Ginnungagap. It was apparently possible, with difficulty, to pass from one to the other across the Gap. Some giants had already done so, living under the leadership of Surt the Black, and were busily evolving into fire-etins. The sons of Bor apparently felt that more useful land was needed, so they killed Ymir and used his corpse as a variety of magical anchors to create new worlds. Some pieces floated off and created worlds by themselves - Svartalfheim, populated by duergar who also sprang from Ymir's body, is one example, Jotunheim is another - and some, like Asgard and Alfheim, the sons of Bor created themselves, for Bor's people and the otherworldly Alfar.
The problem was that Ymir's blood gushed out and caused a huge flood, washing away most of the unwarned denizens of the two worlds. It was so great that it actually put out the fires of Muspellheim for a time, and plunged the world into darkness. The sons of Bor worked fast to triage the damage; Ymir's body was placed across the gap to form a world-bridge, but it fell apart. They grabbed for whatever pieces they could get, and anchored them to the Tree. Meanwhile, Bergelmir the leader of the frost-etins shoved his wife and whatever of his people he could find into a lur, a hollowed-out tree trunk that could serve either as a boat or a coffin. They washed up on the piece of Ymir's back that would become Jotunheim.
The sons of Bor continued their world-building, creating skies and solid ground, anchoring worlds to the Tree, and making stars out of sparks from half-drowned but still-sputtering Muspellheim. Ymir's broken bones made mountains, his teeth rocks and boulders, and when the final flood of his blood went down, the remaining fluid made the rivers, lakes, and oceans of the various worlds. Ymir's brains were flung into the sky, where they became clouds. The sons of Bor then called into the world by some arcane process the Four Guardians of the directions, whom they charged to guard the four corners of the World Tree.
There are conflicting stories about the creation of humans. One says that after having finished their world-building, the sons of Bor were walking along the beach and came upon two washed-up logs. These they breathed life into - Odin giving them breath, Vili giving them movement, and Ve giving them identity - and the race of humans was born from these first two human, Ask and Embla (Ash and Elm). On the other hand, there is a conflicting account that states that Ask and Embla were actually called into this world before the great flood, and that they were saved by the giant Bergelmir, who stuck them high in a dead tree that he hoped would survive the flood. With this other account, there is no knowledge of who actually called them into the world; both the sons of Bor and the giants take credit for it. At any rate, Midgard was created as a place for them to live. 



Time And Seasons: Yggdrasil itself is suspended in space, in the black nothingness of Ginnungagap. It has no seasons per se; the Sun and Moon-chariots pass from world to world around its trunk, but outside them, there is no discernable seasonal change. As the worlds rotate around Yggdrasil, however, each of them comes close to our world and then draws apart. Midgard is always close, for some reason, which is why it is referred to as our "sister world". (For more information on this complicated concept, see the Midgard chapter.) It is possible to visit any of the worlds at the time of (our) year that they are furthest away, but it is simply easiest to do it when they are close. Sometimes, during that period, they come so close that things "leak" over. For example, "interference" from the Elves on Beltane has a long and legendary history.
Yggdrasil itself is a source of light, as is the land of Muspellheim, and these were originally the only source of light. However, when the last worlds were built, the Aesir decided that there needed to be a more regularized and brighter light source, and they recruited (some tales imply a nonconsensual draft) certain etins to eternally ride the skies, bringing greater and lesser light to all things in turn. The Sky-Etins are not a specific variety of jotun; rather, they have created their own tribe and culture out of necessity. They are a close-knit clan, and while they are interested in the problems of those below - and who wouldn't be, with all that perspective and vision during every day? - they will not brook interference with their schedules, because they know that granting it to one would mean granting it to all. 

The Sky-Etins
Before the Aesir set up their day-and-night technology, the three ancient worlds were lit by the pale greenish light of the tree, and the glowing fires of Muspellheim. This gave a permanent twilight to Niflheim and the underworld. After the flood, Jotunheim was formed, and as it was closer to Muspellheim it got more light, a dull orange glow seeping through the world-barrier. When the Aesir set up Asgard, they put together a system whereby the Sun and Moon roll through the sky of each world on a set path.
The gods of the Sun and Moon are Sunna and Mani, respectively. They were originally the children of a giant named Mundilfari, who was known as the Turner of Time. They were snatched up by the Aesir to forever ride the sky in turn. Their track takes them through all the Nine Worlds; while Mani is over one world, Sunna will be over another one. This strange schedule reminds us that these are actually separate worlds and not just regions of a single world; although they may share an artificial sun and moon, they do not exist in the same space together. Sunna can be over Midgard for fourteen hours, and then pass through eight other worlds with varying day-lengths spent in each one, and then be back in Midgard ten hours later. This is due to the time dilation that occurs as she passes through the world-barriers. One circuit for her may be several days' worth of ride, yet each world is only in darkness for the length of its night. It's one of those things that make your head hurt if you think about it too closely.
Sunna is tall, golden, and beautiful, and has been called All-Bright, Everglow, and Fair Wheel. Her personality is impulsive and fiery, almost childlike in her innocence and enthusiasm. She is married to a fire-giant, one of the sons of Surt, whose name is Glow. Since her job never stops, he generally visits her in the chariot. (One assumes that she gets the day off occasionally.) He cares for their young daughter, who is being groomed to take over Sunna's dangerous job should something happen to her (such as Ragnarok).
Sunna charges across the sky every day with wild abandon, never swerving from her path in the sheer love of chariot-driving. Her Sun Chariot is drawn by two golden horses, Allsvinn (All-Swift), and Arvaker (Early-Waker), who pull the sun behind them. Its heat would be too much for them, except that Odin created a talisman called the Isarnkol, which hangs above their shoulders on the double yoke and constantly spreads cool mists, protecting them from heatstroke. Ahead of Sunna, as a herald, travels Daeg, or Day, a sky-etin who rides the red-bay horse Skinfaxi. The horse's mane sheds light as it goes.
Mani is calmer and more thoughtful than his sister. He has a compassionate heart, and is struck by seeing those in need, especially children who are being abused, and he is often prayed to in order to protect specific children. He is known to have rescued two children, Bil and Hjuki, snatching them up from the earth and sending them to live in Asgard. (Their names seem to be the foundation of the "Jack and Jill" rhyme.) He is also a god of calendars, mathematics, and other rational thought that requires counting and numbers. He plays a flute as he walks, and is especially revered by the Dark Alfar and the Duergar. Those who work with Mani say that his moon-cart is pulled not by horses, but by large dogs, and sometimes he simply walks, being a patron of travelers and walkers in general.
Mani is preceded and heralded by Nott, a Jotun goddess who rides a black horse named Hrimfaxi. The dew drips off of Hrimfaxi's bit as he passes over the worlds. Nott's father Norfe was the first architect of Jotunheim, and designed many of the great halls, including the halls of Thrym and Utgard-Loki. Nott herself is a very old giantess, one of the oldest from before the flood, which she survived by being in the realm of the Dead at the time. She has been married three times (that we know of) and had numerous affairs. Her first husband was named Nagifari and to him she bore a son named Aud; her second was a cliff-giant named Annarr who sired on her the earthy etin-bride Jord, eventual mistress of Odin and mother of Thor and Meile. Her third and current husband, Delling ("Dawn") gave her a son who later become Dag, the god of Day and Sunna's herald. She also had an affair with the old Vanir-god Frodi, and bore him Njord the sailor-god before leaving him with the infant boy. Nott is not known for being maternal; she tends to be a wanderer, leaving her various children to be raised by their fathers.
To make sure that the Sun and Moon chariots ran on time, the Aesir made a deal with two fierce Jotun werewolves, Skoll and Hati, sons of Fenris by an Iron Wood giantess. They gave them the power of flight, which they can use only to chase the sun-chariot or the moon-chariot. The truth is that neither of them spend their entire time chasing chariots; they are simply on call if something goes wrong and the moon or sun are not on time. Sunna is almost always on time; if anything, she tends to be early in her enthusiasm. She treats Skoll, the wolf who is in charge of chasing her, like a fun, competitive game, and enjoys racing him. Mani, on the other hand, is much more interested in what is going on down below, and as such has a regrettable tendency to stop and watch, or even interfere. Hati, the greater of the two wolf-brothers (also referred to as Managarm), will eventually show up and chase him back onto his scheduled path. Mani despises the wolf, and hates being shepherded in this way. He is also well aware that should Ragnarok start, the two wolves will attack and kill them. (Sunna seems to have a "let 'em try to catch me!" attitude about that.)
The amount of time that Sunna and Mani spend in each world varies wildly from world to world. Asgard gets the most light, with some days as long as summer-solstice days at our Arctic Circle, without the accompanying long nights during the rest of the year. This is one reason why it is the "Shining Realm". Ljossalfheim also gets a great deal of light, and Vanaheim somewhat less but still more than Midgard.

субота, 13. октобар 2012.

Feri Tradition


Feri Tradition



The Feri Tradition (referred to also as Vicia, Faery, or Anderson Feri) is an initiatory tradition of contemporary traditional witchcraft. It is an ecstatic (rather than fertility) tradition stemming from the experience of Cora and Victor Anderson . Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness, including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. The Feri Tradition has very diverse influences, such as HunaVodouFaery loreKabbalahHoodooTantra, and Gnosticism.

Among the distinguishing features of the Feri tradition is the use of a specific Feri power or energetic current. Feri witches often see themselves as "fey": outside social definitions and intentionally living within paradox. They believe that much of reality is unseen, or at least has uncertain boundaries. Within the tradition there is a deep respect for the wisdom of nature, a love of beauty, and an appreciation of bardic and mantic creativity.

Core teachings acknowledged by most branches of the tradition include the concepts of the Three Souls and the Black Heart of Innocence, the tools of the Iron and Pearl Pentacle (now commonly also used by Reclaiming (Neopaganism), as well as an awareness of "energy ecology", which admonishes practitioners to never give away or waste their personal power. Trance experiences and personal connection to the Divine are at the heart of this path, leading to a wide variety of practices throughout the larger body of the tradition.

Early in 2011, a schism became visible around philosophical differences between those who wish to teach the religion publicly and for pay and those who prefer the more personal, one-on-one methods traditional to religious witchcraft. Some of the "old Craft" adherents have gone back to the older "Faery" spelling of the tradition in order to distinguish themselves from the more public faction, while others have not.

Feri is not a tradition of Wicca; there are Wiccan groups and traditions sometimes calling themselves "Fairy" (Faerie, Faery, etc.), but these are distinct from the Feri Tradition.


Quantum and Kala


Quantum and Kala
By Bill Russell

Kala implies that everything is connected. Shamans employ this ancient concept when they exchange wisdom and information with entities such as animals, plants, stones and people at a distance. Even in modern times, Kala permits dowsers to
locate underground water sources and lost objects. Kala underlies the shaman’s awareness that all is alive, aware and responsive.
Quantum physics laboratory demonstrations substantiate the Kala concept. Because of our Western scientific diehard fixation on objective reality perception, physicists are shocked and bewildered by such revelations. Most of them sweep
“quantum weirdness” under the rug, out of mind. One world famous physicist advised his graduate students to not think
about the seemingly incomprehensible aspects of quantum physics or they would “go down the drain into a blind alley
from which nobody has yet escaped.” But these are just the kind of places that shamans dare to explore.
Quantum physics is the study of the physical and energetic nature of matter at the realm of subatomic particles, the building blocks of atoms: protons, neutrons, electrons and photons. Examined from this close-up perspective, reality is quite
different from the way we perceive it at our ordinary, everyday level.
To illustrate, let’s look at a simple quantum physics laboratory demonstration, the famous “double slit experiment.” In
Fig.1 we have, at the left side of the sketch, a source of subatomic particles, a kind of gun that randomly shoots out subatomic particles, one at a time. In front of the gun is a barrier plate with a narrow vertical slit. Behind the barrier, on the
right hand side of the sketch, is a photographic screen. The gun is not very accurate. Some of the particles it shoots miss
the barrier. Some hit the barrier and are blocked from reaching the photographic screen. Occasionally, a particle will pass
through the slit, hit the screen and leave a little black dot. Obviously, a vertical black line will build up on the screen after
a period of time.


Fig.1
Now let’s repeat this experiment but replace the barrier with one that has two closely spaced narrow vertical slits, as illustrated
in Fig.2. After a period of time, we would expect to see two vertical lines of dots appear on the photographic screen.
But we don’t see two lines. To our astonishment we find several parallel vertical lines of dots. Think about this.

Fig.2

This experiment open up various interpretations, revelations and perplexities for physicists, but there is one clear conclusion
that is quite disturbing to them:
AS A PARTICLE PASSES FROM THE GUN TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SCREEN THROUGH A BARRIER
SLIT, IT HAS TO “KNOW” WHETHER THE BARRIER HAS ONE OR TWO SLITS TO DETERMINE
WHERE THE PARTICLE CAN FALL ON THE SCREEN.
Physicists wonder how a subatomic particle, without a brain or sense organs, can possess such awareness. For a shaman,
the answer is obvious. It’s because of Kala.
A definition of consciousness from my dictionary is “awareness of surroundings” and physicists do not know the limit
of a particle’s awareness. Every material thing from viruses and bacteria to people, animals, mountains, oceans, clouds
etc. is composed of subatomic particles. Therefore, everything possesses consciousness and has the potential to be influenced
by a shaman’s focused intent.
The double slit experiment stirs speculations. Perhaps the brain does not generate consciousness. Maybe it’s an organ
that utilizes the consciousness of nature in the way that the eye makes use of light but does not generate it.
Could the implied vast networking of consciousness possessed by the building blocks of matter be the reason that physical
forms exist? Perhaps each particle knows its appropriate place to occupy within a physical form. Could this organizational
format be related to a shaman’s concept of spirit?
If you want to learn more about the double slit experiment and quantum phenomena read “The Dancing Wu Li Masters”
by Gary Zukav.

четвртак, 11. октобар 2012.

Hecate, Queen of the Night


Hecate, Queen of the Night

Hecate (Hekate) is Queen of the Night, the Spirit World, and Witchcraft. Her epithets include "She Who Works Her Will." Although today most associated with Greek mythology, her name, meaning "influence from afar," acknowledges her foreign origins.
Generally believed to have first emerged in what is now Turkey, she was not an obscure goddess. Hecate was at one time chief deity of Caria, now western Turkey, and was eventually widely worshipped throughout Europe, Western Asia, and Egypt. Records of formal worship date from eighth century BC to the fourth century AD, although as magic fell from grace she became an increasingly disreputable spirit. All Hecate's myths clearly identify her as a witch and matron of magical arts.
Hecate holds dominion over life, death, regeneration, and magic. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. Hecate guards the frontier between life and death. She is an intermediary between the spirit world and that of humans. She is the witness to all crimes, especially those against women and children.

Hecate has been known to assume the shape of a black cat, a bear, a pig or a hen but most typically manifests as a mature woman or black dog. She has a particularly strong bond with dogs. Even when manifesting in human form, Hecate is usually accompanied by hounds. Somehow there will be a canine reference. When manifesting as a woman alone, Hecate often circles in the manner of a dog.

Artistic renderings of Hecate usually attempt to capture her spiritual essence. She may be depicted with three bodies, each facing a different direction. One hand holds the knife that is the midwife's tool, another holds a torch to illuminate the darkness, the last bears a serpent representing medical and magical wisdom. Sometimes Hecate is depicted with a woman's body but three animal heads - those of a dog, a horse, and a lion.
Hecate's sacred time is black night. All her festivities and ceremonies are held after dark, the only acceptable illumination is candles or torches. She only accepts offerings and petitions at night. Hecate is identified with the Dark Moon, the time of her optimum power.

The last day of each month is dedicated to Hecate. She also shared a festival with Diana on August 13th in Italy. Modern Wiccans, for whom Hecate is an important deity, celebrate November 16th as Hecate Night.

Her sacred place is the crossroads, specifically three-way crossroads. Among her name is Hecate Trivia. That doesn't indicate that Hecate is trivial or that worshipping her was a trivial pursuit: Trivia literally means "three roads." Hecate is Spirit of the Crossroads: her power emanates from their point of intersection. Hecate's image was once placed in Greek towns wherever three roads met.
  • Sacred Creatures: Dogs, toads, snakes, dragons
  • Color: Black
  • Number: Three
  • Attributes: Key, Cauldron, Broom, Torch
  • Plants: Garlic, lavender, mandrake
  • Fruit: Pomegranate
  • Trees: Black poplar, yew, date palm, willow
  • Planets: Moon and Sirius, the Dog Star.

Hecate is most prominent in Greek mythology for being the sole deity to voluntarily assist Demeter in her search for her abducted daughter, Persephone. Later, after Persephone eats Death's six pomegranate seeds and is condemned to spend half the year in Hades, it is Hecate who accompanies her as Lady-in-Waiting. In some legends, she even becomes Hades' co-wife. Ceberus, three-headed hound of Hades, may be Hecate in disguise.

Hecate becomes Persephone's link to her mother and the land of the living. She guarantees that Death cannot break the bond between mother and daughter. Hecate is the Matron of Necromancy.
Hecate, daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria, is older than the Olympian spirits. The eight-century BC Greek poet Hesiod writes that Hecate's power dates "from the beginning." Zeus was crazy about her: he eliminated all other pre-Hellenic deities (the Titans) but, having fallen madly in love with Hecate, he let her be.

Hecate is understood to be a triple goddess by herself, appearing as maiden, mother, and crone. She is also part of a lunar triplicity with Artemis and Selene, and also with Demeter and Persephone. Hecate dances in Dionysus' retinue and is a close ally of Kybele.

Alongside her intense lunar identification, Hecate is also associated with the element of water: her first love affairs were with sea gods including Triton. Her great-grandfather was Pontus the Sea. Her maternal great-aunt was the sea monster Keto. Hecate is also related to the Gorgons and Sirens and may be the mother of Scylla, who was transformed into a sea monster by another relative, Circe. Prior to her transformation Scylla was a beautiful woman from head to waist, with canine hips terminating in a fish tale.

Hecate led a host of shape-shifting female spirits known as Empausas, whose usual manifestation was as a beautiful woman with one brass leg and one donkey's leg; Hecate herself sometimes takes this form. The Empusas patrolled roads and apparently sometimes had fun terrorizing travelers. If one invoked Hecate, however, they left you alone.
Devotees feted the goddess by holding rituals known as Hecate's Suppers at the end of each month at a crossroad. (The end of the month in lunar calendars corresponds to the Dark Moon, the new month begins with the first sighting of the new moon). The Church was still trying to eradicate Hecate's Suppers in the eleventh century.

Post-Christianity, Hecate became among the most intensely demonized spirits, her very name synonymous with "witch". Her symbols (toad, cauldron, broom) are inextricably linked with stereotypes of witchcraft. What were symbols of fertility became symbols of evil. Her sacred dogs were converted into the Hounds of Hell. This denigration served to camouflage Hecate's origins as a deity of Healing and Protection.

среда, 10. октобар 2012.


Purple Fire Sanctuary


Purple Fire Sanctuary is a renewal of Ancient Shamanism derived from old European tradition (Dragon Lords Balkan tradition, Benandanti from Italy, Colosari from Romania, Taltos from Hungary, Tengriism from Turkey…). A combination spiritual practice, Purple Fire seeks to Evolution of the spirit trough practice of ancient ecstatic rituals, meditations, ritual dance, drumming and energy work. Purple fire use different systems correspodenting to original foundation of practice. And this system comes from: Feri Tradition, Huna tradition, Santeria, Hinduistic Tantra, and Old European Mythology, Folk practice of Europe, Vlach Magic, Tengriism, Tenzegrity, Norse Rune system and Ancient Egyptian Soul system… Purple fire is integrating different systems of spiritual practice and ancient mysteries in order of Spiritual Evolution and Grow. This is ecstatic tradition based on experience more then on knowledge…