“Dawn with a Torch Scattering Flowers” by Annibale Carracci
At the moment Auroras are illuminating the night sky in both hemispheres. This is due to a severe solar storm which has supercharged this stunning phenomenon with the incredibly inspiring ability to view it.
I have spoken to and seen friends post on social media, who have been in awe whilst viewing this magnificent occurrence all over the world, since Friday (10th of May 2024).
A comment a friend made to me on the phone said she felt like ancient man whilst looking up to marvel at the lights. This made me think about how ancients would of perceived this occurance and the connection they would have had magically and spiritually.
In my research I read up on the Indigenous view of the Aurora Australis and the various mythologies connected to the Aurora Borealis. This lead me to the Goddess Aurora whom I felt drawn to and whom I am going to honour with a rite in her name.
For my working I noted down some information on the Goddess Aurora I would like to share:
Who is Aurora?
Aurora is the Roman Goddess of Dawn whom within her multi coloured chariot traverses across the sky in the hours of the early morning to signal to her siblings that a new day is dawning.
Her siblings are Sol the Sun (Helios the Sun God) and Luna the Moon (Selene the Moon Goddess).
Aurora is also known as Eos in Greek mythology.
Her father is Pallas or Hyperion and her mother is Theia, therefore she is the daughter of Titans.
Aurora is the mother of the Anemoi – the four winds whose father is Astraeus, the father of the stars.
Aurora is connected to the Northern Lights which are also named Aurora Borealis (Northerly Light of Dawn) after her.
“The Gates of Dawn” by Herbert James Draper
What does Aurora do?
Aurora is the embodiment of the dawn and each morning she wakes from her home on the banks of the river Oceanus to disperse the darkness of night and deliver light to the land.
Image of Aurora Lights (Northern) by Pexels from Pixabay
Aurora’s Symbols
Chariots
Saffron
Cicada
Aurora’s SacredTime
Dawn
Offerings to Aurora
Saffron and saffron coloured items such as linen
Ocean Water or Salt Water
Flames in forms of candle, fire pit or lamp.
Crystals such as fluoride.
Hymns to Aurora
Orphic Hymn LXXVII. To Aurora (Eos) Hear me, O Goddess! whose emerging ray leads on the broad refulgence of the day; Blushing Aurora [Eos], whose celestial light beams on the world with red’ning splendours bright: Angel of Titan, whom with constant round, thy orient beams recall from night profound: Labour of ev’ry kind to lead is thine, of mortal life the minister divine. Mankind in thee eternally delight, and none presumes to shun thy beauteous sight. Soon as thy splendours break the bands of rest, and eyes unclose with pleasing sleep oppress’d; Men, reptiles, birds, and beasts, with gen’ral voice, and all the nations of the deep, rejoice; For all the culture of our life is thine. Come, blessed pow’r! and to these rites incline: Thy holy light increase, and unconfin’d diffuse its radiance on thy mystic’s mind.
Here is a version in Ancient Greek sung by Melissa of the Bees:
Image of Aurora Australis Lights over my home, towards the end of the storm’s peak (11th May around 9.30pm)
If you can, I encourage you all to go outside into the night sky and see if you can glimpse the Aurora lights, as right now both hemispheres can see the Aurora Borealis (in the Northern Hemisphere) and Aurora Australis (in the Southern Hemisphere) for the next few days after sunset for a few hours (till Monday 13th May 2024). I would suggest to go somewhere where there is less artificial light and where you can take in the horizon without obstruction. Happy viewing!
Samhain also known as All Hallows Eve, Feast of the Dead and Halloween is the historically Gaelic festival and in a literal sense means summer’s end, marking just that – as it signifies the start of winter and the end of the harvest season. It falls between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice and is a time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest due to it being a liminal/threshold festival. In the 19th century it was suggested to be the “Celtic New Year” and in modern time this became the “Witches New Year”. This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on the 5th of May at 9.00am. Gods such as Hekate, Hades, Persephone, Osiris, Crom Cruach, Cerridwen, Lilith, Kali, Ishtar, Persephone, Oya, Innana, Pamona, Cailleach, The Morrigan, Nephtys, Rhiannon, Herne, Anubis, Odin, Bran and Cernunnos can all be honoured during this time.
I have celebrated Samhain with groups of people in a religious, spiritual and mundane way both here in Australia and overseas. The one thing which I found resonated with them all was the celebration of what has passed and honouring that which came before us.
One of the first memories I have during this time of year was when we were visiting my mother’s village on a small Aegean island of Greece, Lemnos (where its origins can be traced back to the (Epipaleolithic Period) but its more commonly known for its (Mycenean Period) whose matriarchal line had lived on for centuries. She took me to her family’s mausoleum which from the outside looked like a mini Parthenon with walls. Once inside, the marble covered walls were lined and stacked from ceiling to floor with ledges crammed with skulls and bones. My mother with arms outstretched swept over what I was taking in said in an echoing voice that these were my ancestors and I needed to honour them and that one day she would be amongst them and I needed to remember to pay my respects.
I personally like to honour my ancestors during this time by leaving offerings for them on their ancestor shrine I have been keeping and tending to for more years than I can count. My mother was a very spiritual person and taught me to always tend to the ancestor shrine and light incense and leave offerings for them frequently. During this time since its so close to Greek Easter I make and leave coloured eggs (usually red with patterns of leaves or flowers on them like I was taught using old panty hose and dried leaves/flowers) along with other items my blessed dead liked in life.
I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. This is a liminal time and this is Hekate’s domain as she can traverse the various realms (sky, earth, sea and underworld) as she easily navigates through the thresholds as well as being Goddess of the Underworld, Crossroads and Queen of the Dead and Lost Souls she can help guide.
I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, bay leaves, mead, beer, wine, red meat such as lamb roast, wine, bread, barley, nuts, acorns, pumpkins, gourds, mushrooms, sage, nutmeg, mint, oregano, thyme, marigolds, lilies, chrysanthemums, mugwort, wormwood, dittany of crete, oak leaves, rosemary, corn, gingerbread, chestnuts and apple cider.
Since this tends to be near or after Greek easter I tend to make an apple tea cake and leave a token inside (usually a wrapped up gold coin) which I divide and serve and whomever gets the coin has the token of luck. I also like to cook items for Hekate which resonate with familial recipes so I like to bake and offer Anastasia’s Spiral Pita and Greek Kourabiethes.
Some things you can do to honour and mark Samhain in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:
Dumb suppers such as a place for them at your table or food left for them on a ancestor shrine/altar, doorstep, property boundary, gravestone or crossroads to your blessed dead such as ancestors or other loved ones who have passed over.
Making offerings of appeasement to lost souls.
Connect and communicate with the spirit world.
Divination using various methods such as scrying (crystal, fire, mirror, black ink and water), reading such as tarot, runes, dice, I Ching and pendulum.
Rituals and spells involving protective and cleansing properties for oneself or one’s property.
Light a hearth fire either in a fire place, outside bonfire style or a simple small fire inside using a proof vessel on a shrine such as a cauldron, lamp or even a candle.
Collect the last harvest from your garden – be it fruit, vegetables or herbs and flowers.
Honouring the dual nature of life and death and accepting its beauty. This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.
Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.
Personally reflect on the last 12 months and take note of your accomplishments and failures and create a plan to continue with said accomplishments and rectify failures.
Make a jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin or gourd and place a candle inside it and when lit leave i (in safe) view of a windowsill or outside near your front door.
Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
Create a shrine with images or items from your blessed dead and recite prayers and leave offerings in their name.
As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making Hekate and ancestor beaded necklaces, anointing oils, and seasonal incense and candles. With the necklaces, I make them using my mother’s agillete (knot magic or witches ladder) and then I bless and consecrate them in my yearly Samhain ritual which you can find here:
So work your magick this Samhain, honour those who came before you and reflect and contemplate on your journey thus far taking in and celebrating the ebb and flow of the seasons and of life itself.
We are having a solar eclipse on the which falls on the 8th of April 2024.
The solar eclipse occurs when the moon falls between the earth and the sun which casts a shadow over the earth.
This will be a total solar eclipse and occurs when the moon and the sun is exactly aligned with the earth but the moon being smaller than the sun enables the sun to surround the moon as a bright ring.
Please Note: A solar eclipse should ONLY be viewed through solar filters like a pair of solar eclipse glasses for safety reasons, as you don’t want to damage your eyes. PLEASE NEVER look at the sun without adequate protection. For more information on what you need to see the eclipse safely which includes what equipment you need please go here for more information:
Solar eclipse magick is when the energy is amplified due to the moon energies intermingling with the sun energies. The sun and the moon are in the same star sign and the energies co-mingling this way, emphasis is the energies of that particular sign. This solar eclipse is in Aries* therefore the energies heightened during this time is the Libra star sign.
The kind of magick you can perform during the solar eclipse:
Liminal – magick worked between the darkness and the light.
Transition – use the sun and moon moving through this time to highlight or work with important transitions in your life.
Transformation – deep within and also that which surrounds us.
Change – harness this quick moving energy to bring about purposeful change in your life.
Rebirth – moving from one cycle to the other in the form of a death of the old and and bringing in and welcoming of the new.
Breaking – down barriers before you which have caused blockages in your life can now be removed.
Movement – cleanse the stagnant decayed and no longer necessary and embrace the fresh new and potential within problem areas of your life.
Rituals/Spells – in dedication to Gods who embrace this time and can assist you in manifesting the energies of the liminal, transitional, rebirth, movement, breaking away and change such as Hekate.
Sorcery of the Solar Eclipse
*Aries moon is a good time for renewal of energies, transformation and new beginnings.
Since Aries is a fire sign it’s a great time to work with this element.
This is a good time to rebalance with Hekate’s fire and bring in manifestation of courageous endeavours with the confidence she illuminates.
The element of fire resonates with passion and purpose through drive and determination. I feel that fanning the flames of your personal hearth can be used to manifest the magick of this moon in the form of renewed progression or the sparked beginning of a specific task or goal your want to achieve along with career, travel or health objectives you want to materialise.
Fire magic using incense or flame such as candle, lamp or even torch and fire place/pit is ideal for this moon.
Setjataset’s Bay Leaf Spell
Take a bay leaf (dried) and write your name on one side and then your desire on the other and then burn it after reciting these words:
“Great Hekate bring your illumination
As I come to you in veneration
I request my desires to be fulfilled
Bless my magick to grow and build
Great Hekate bring me my desire
Manifest my wishes with your fire.”
*Aries is an fire sign which is ruled by Mars. It is a sign which can appear confident, fiery, direct and motivated. It is also quite an outgoing energy and builds community with leadership and passion.
Mabon or the Autumnal Equinox is the second harvest festival in the Southern Hemisphere calendar which is a vernal equinox meaning the hours of the day and night are approximately the same length. This year it falls on the 20th of March at 1.06pm. Mabon is named after the god of the same name in Welsh mythology but its a modern adaptation from the 1970’s. Other gods such as Pamona, the Green Man, Bachus, Dionysus, Artemis, Carpo, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate can all be honoured during this time of year.
My mother was a wildcrafter and I have very distinct memories of her taking me foraging during this time of year. We would forage for various herbs, plants, nuts and flowers. The area I grew up in was surrounded by farmland and so there was a plethora of nature’s gifts to be found and used. On occasion we would also take day trips to forage seasonally.
I like to take long walks and see the changing of the leaves (yes I am one of those people) and I do this locally as well as around my beautiful state. I also go out foraging during this time of year and I have engaged in various foraging expeditions and would recommend the following books for those living in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) to assist you as you need to be VERY careful with what you collect and use (and if in doubt leave it be and don’t risk poisoning yourself):
The Weed Forager’s Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser Rowland.
Wild Food Plants of Australia Paperback by Tim Low.
I feel that Demeter resonates with this time of the year. This is the time when Demeter withdraws her creative powers from the earth as Persephone descends into the underworld. I also feel that Hekate also resonates with this time of year especially since its a liminal time – a day of equal day and night and Hekate’s ability to dwell within those times.
I personally like to honour Demeter as well as Hekate during this time and make offerings of wine, grapes, bread, grains: corn, oats and barley, nuts, acorns, apples, pomegranates, onions, poppies, mushrooms, dandelions, nettles, marrow, chickweed, black berries, oak leaves, vine leaves and herbal teas.
I also like to cook with seasonal foods and for Hekate and Demeter I like to bake and offer Cheese Garlic and Thyme Bread , Garlic and Saffron Risotto (I substitute the rice for barley and the butter for Nuttlex) and Apple Tea Cake (I substitute milk with soy/almond/oat milk and butter with Nuttlex).
Some things you can do yourself to honour and mark the Mabon/Autumn Equinox can be:
Rituals and spells involving balance within or outside of yourself such as removing an addiction and replacing it with a healthy lifestyle change.
Rituals and spells involving mourning something lost – to be able to better accept this loss.
Honouring the dual nature of life and accepting its beauty. This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.
Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.
Cleanse and purify your home and garden.
Gardening such as blessing and sowing autumnal seeds specific to your region and/or fertilising and turning the earth.
Go foraging with friends (ensuring you are very careful and don’t collect anything poisonous or which has been sprayed with chemicals) or alternatively book a local guided wild forager tour (such as mushroom or herbs/plants) or go apple picking at a local orchard.
Like Demeter go for a wander – take a long walk in the woods or somewhere where you feel close to the gods and spirits of your local land.
As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making abundance pouches which I fill with various items which symbolises abundance to me, along with cleansing washes, blessing oils, and seasonal God/dess incense.
I would like to share with you a Hekate Incense I came up with which I love and resonates with this time of year and which I urge you to try your hand at making:
Hekate’s Autumnal Incense by Setjtaset
1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Apple Peel
1 Part Dehydrated (or oven dried) Pomegranate Peel
1 Part Pine Resin
1-3 Sprinkle of Cinnamon (or crushed cinnamon stick).
Since I love to perform rituals to honour Hekate, I like to mark the date with a ritual in her name. Here is a hymn I wrote to Demeter and Hekate for my devotional rites which I would also like to share with you:
Autumnal Hymn to Demeter and Hekate by Setjataset
“Great Goddess Demeter
I thank you for your bounty
You who separates the chaff from the grain
I pray to you so that my life be full of boons
Madam of the Sacred Law
Encourage and protect me as I work its mysteries“
“Great Goddess Hekate
I thank you for your guidance
You who perceives the cycles of life and death
I pray to you so that my life be full of blessings
Madam of Magick
Encourage and protect me as I walk its path”
So work your magick this equinox and engage in some activities which can bring you in closer connection to your Gods and the cycle of the earth.
Lammas or Lughnasadh is the first autumn festival in the Southern Hemisphere calendar. This year Lammas falls on the 4th of February at 6.07pm. Gods such as Lugh, Mercury, Dagon, Demeter, Ceridwen, Ceres, Brigid and Dionysus can be honoured during this time of year. Historically it’s a Celtic festival which celebrates the First Harvest of the Fruits such as apples, grapes, tomatoes, peaches, plums but also celebrates the harvest of the first grain, wheat, oats and corn. Therefore traditionally the fruit gathered is made into preserves and the grains and corn made into bread or cakes.
I was introduced to this festival when I studied Wicca back in my teens and then was exposed to a celebration of it when I was in my first Wiccan coven in my early 20’s. We would make corn dollies, bread and cakes and share it with one another.
I grew up with an immigrant Greek family and during this time of year they would make large stores of Passata due to it being used so often in their cooking. My father also made home-made moonshine using whatever was abundant and in season as well as his own wine and beer. My mother made Pita from home grown spinach and/or horta (wild grass) and fennel, stuffed vine leaves and also various Greek shortbreads and cakes. They would both share what they made with family and friends as it was common practice where they grew up and brought that tradition here to Australia when they immigrated.
These days I continue a version of their traditions as I infuse store bought wine with homegrown Greek herbs, make passata from the tomatoes out of my garden, as well as bake traditional Greek village bread and Greek biscuits using organic ingredients. I have also used this time for years to make plum jam from my garden’s Victorian heirloom organic plums (due to the trees originally being part of a farm in the area before it was sub-divided into housing). These items created from the seasonal harvest are offered to my Gods, Ancestors and loved ones where appropriate.
Due to been heavily influenced by the way I was raised, my rituals are a mix of honouring my personal Gods, ancestors and also honouring the land I live on. I see this as a perfect blend of personal devotion as someone who works with the Gods, local spirits and venerates her ancestors in a modern way. I don’t have any strong connection to the God Lugh, typically honoured during this time of year, so I personally use it as a harvest festival and honour my household Gods: Hekate with a libation set aside to Hestia. Other Gods which I have honoured during his time include Persephone, Demeter, Mercury and Apollo.
If like me if you honour any of the above Gods, you can make Greek shortbread or cheesecake for Hekate, pomegranate infused cakes or salads for Persephone, honey or sesame biscuits for Demeter, home-made wine for Mercury and home-made beer for Apollo.
It’s also a good time to make and dedicate devotional items you have crafted yourself over the summer. I tend to make and dedicate items to specific Gods utilising items from my garden due to it resonating with the vibe of the season and festival. Growing a lot of herbs, the ones which are in season, I collect preserve and store them for future use in Hekate’s name for various magical purposes. I also collect resin, bark, leaves and branches from some of my trees to be used in items such as incense, waters, oils and magical tools.
I feel magically used crafts such as candles and incense are perfect to infuse with the energies of the season especially if we are able to harness these energies and channel them into the items. I also tend to make preserves which I use in offerings thorough the remainder of the year
Also I personally feel that it is a good time to acknowledge the ancestors and leave them some food offerings as a form of ancestor veneration. I usually leave some food they liked in life such as kalamata olives, feta, stuffed vine leaves my mother taught me to make along with some Greek coffee which I can scry and divine with.
So even though the Hekate and Ancestral traditions of spirituality and magick I work, doesn’t sound like it fits exactly within the Lammas/Lughnasadh festival – I make it work for me and you can too as the most important thing I feel is devotion and dedication to your path whatever form that takes.
Seasonal Planting Guide:
Vegetables such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, fennel, kale, leek, lettuce, potato, silverbeet, spring onion, sweet corn, brussel sprouts, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, radish, rocket and mustard greens.
Herbs such as basil, sage, oregano, chives, parsley and thyme.
Flowers such as ageratum, alyssum, cleome, cyclamen, French marigold, gypsophila, Iceland poppy, lobelia, lupin, nigella, pansy, polyanthus, primula and verbena.
Some things you can do to honour and mark this time of year in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:
Feast with loved ones. 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 baking and anything which can be shared and is seasonal.
Bake bread and offer the first loaf to the Gods of the season. You can also take a loaf and cut it into quarters and place those quarters in each corner of your residence to bring good luck and prosperity.
Harvest herbs, flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables and create a shrine or altar in celebration of the season.
Rituals or spells involving gratitude, abundance, prosperity, luck and work.
Trade or swap handmade items with loved ones.
Make corn dollies or garlands of flowers or herbs.
Dance or drum to raise energy and direct it into the earth.
Write poetry or creative writing which could contain themes of the time of year.
Visit a holy well and make offerings of flowers, cloth or coins and then circle the well clockwise for health and wealth blessings from the Gods.
Leave grain and seeds which are safe for local birds and wildlife as offerings.
Spend some time tending to your garden or indoor pots.
Light a sacred fire in your fireplace or a bonfire in your backyard.
Revamp your shrine or altar with the colours of the festival (Orange, Red, Yellow, Gold, Brown and Bronze) and adorn it with wheat, corn, applies and produce of the season (herbs, fruits, flowers and vegetables).
So work your magick this festive season, honour and celebrate the harvest and ask for what you want to be prosperous, abundant and full of good fortune in your life.
Part of my practice is to honour my Gods and Ancestors during the astrological sabbat dates with seasonal devotionals, rituals and magick.
Below I have detailed the astrological sabbat dates for the Southern Hemisphere for 2024 with a brief description of what the day symbolises as well as their traditional dates:
Lughnasadh/ Lammas
February 4
2024 6.07pm
First autumn harvest festival.
Traditional Date: February 1
Mabon/ Autumnal Equinox
March
20
2024
1.06pm
Day and night have same length. Days get shorter.
Traditional Date: March 20
Samhain
May
5
2024 9.00am
Veil between worlds thinnest.
Traditional Date: April 30 – May 1
Yule/ Winter Solstice
June
21
2024 6.51am
Day has the longest night. Sun is at its lowest elevation in the sky.
Traditional Date: June 21
Imbolc
August
7
2024 10.14am
Marks the beginning of spring.
Traditional Date: August 1
Ostara/ Spring Equinox
September 22
2024
10.44pm
Day and night have same length. Days get longer.
Traditional Date: September 21
Beltane
November
8
2024
8.12am
Halfway point between spring and summer. Fertility festival.
Traditional Date: October 31
Litha/ Summer Solstice
December
21
2024 7.20pm
Day has the longest daylight. Sun travels the longest path through the sky.
Traditional Date: December 21
All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) – add 1 hour for Daylight Savings Time when applicable.
Moon magick is a practice I strongly resonate with. I love to create and venerate with the various phases of moon. I love to engage in the moon’s ebbs and flows where I can move with the energies and enact rites with and for my Gods and Ancestors. Regardless of what path I practice, regardless of what sorcery I perform, the moon is my guide through it all – a guiding presence for my workings.
This year we have various unique moons coming up where you can practice your full and new moon rituals and spell-work with added punch due to the added significance of these moons. There are different types of magick you can create during these various significant moon phases which can assist you with your practice.
Listed below I have created various pages explaining the different moons and what magick you can practice in the associated links:
As a magical practitioner I like to work with the phases of the moon. I find these useful for various rituals, devotionals, spells and other magical workings.
Some magickal workings which can be conducted on the following moon phases:
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 Friday the 22ndth of December at 1.27pm (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:
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.
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.
Dance or drum to raise energy and direct it into the earth.
Perform a ritual to celebrate and mark the sun at its peak and its blessings it brings upon the earth.
Take a sun bath (ensuring to protect yourself from the UV rays) which can take the form of meditation or yoga.
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).
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.
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.
Watch the sunset and give thanks to the sun for its light and warmth.
Light a fire (bonfire, firepit or fireplace) or candles to celebrate and honour the light of the sun during this time.
Declutter and swap, donate or sell that which you no longer need.
Leave a candle in a safe place to burn all day in honour of the sun.
Craft some items which resonate with the season for you.
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.
Setjataset 