Aurora – Goddess of Dawn

“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 (10^th 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 Sacred Time

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 13^th 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!

Senebty

Setjataset

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(C) T. Georgitsis 2024

Hekate Devotion: Hearth/Kitchen Shrine

Preparing and cooking food is an act of magick itself, so for me, I like to have an altar in my kitchen. Back in the days of old, the kitchen hearth was a place of magick especially when it came to folk magick and it continues to this day since many of us practice the craft in our own homes.

Crafting in the kitchen can often evoke warm, safe and happy memories. Considering this is a place well known to most, it can be used to work magick through creating food and drink in a familiar loving surrounding.  Food itself contains energy and the spark of life, therefore it is only understandable to honor this gift of the gods by creating an altar in your kitchen.  Having a kitchen altar can increase the vibration of your home, especially if you consider that an altar is sacred space and can further empower the process of food crafting.  This starts with the ingredients and tools used, to the methods employed to prepare and cook the food, all the way to the finished product.

Altars in the home have been around since ancient times as this was sometimes the only place an ordinary person could commune with the gods in sacred space.  Since the kitchen was the main room where meals were prepared, which were often seen as gifts from the gods, it was often an ideal place to put a household shrine.  Kitchen altars can be the power spot of the house where energies can be used to bring balance and harmony into the home and those who live there.

A simple kitchen altar can be placed in a niche, shelf mounted on a wall, in a cupboard, on the kitchen table or on a surface like a bench top.  It can be elaborate which can bring attention to it or it can blend in with the décor of the kitchen and be overlooked by inquisitive guests.

What you place upon your kitchen altar is completely up to you and your own tastes, however I suggest placing herbs and spices which are favoured other other food stuffs which resonate with you.   I also suggest placing an image of a god or goddess of the hearth such as Hekate, Gaia, Hestia, Aradia, Ceres, Ida, Lakshimi, Vesta, Demeter which will represent spirit and items which represent the four elements such as:

Earth: bread, salt, flowers, fruit, acorns, crystals;

Air: oil burner, leaves, tiny brooms, feathers;

Fire: a lighter, matches, oil lamp, incense, candle;

Water: bowl/glass/bottle of water, witch bottle, shells.

Other items including a witches blade, used for cutting up herbs, can be placed on the kitchen altar along with a mortar and pestle for grinding up salts, spices and herbs and a Food Craft Grimoire and pen for devotional recipes you create and add to over time.  Remember to keep the altar clean and free of clutter to further resonate this magickal energy into your home and your life.

When food crafting I find myself instantly drawn to the kitchen altar. Here I light a candle and offer up a little hymn to the goddess to imbue and bless my food with health, vitality and delicious flavor in her name as well as guarding and protecting my home and those who live within it.  Here is a hymn I wrote for Hekate whom is the patron of my home’s hearth which you can use:

‘Hekate –

Great Goddess of the hearth and household

Watch over and protect those within its fold

To your honour we feast and drink

Bless us with your eternal link

Filled with health and vitality

So it is said so it will be”

Its no secret I love cooking special offerings to Hekate and have made it part of my practice to hand make and carefully prepare food in her name.  Recently due to it coinciding with Greek Easter which is coming up, I made cookies with a twist which I offered to Hekate as well as shared and gifted to dear friends. These Greek cookies have been made since the times of the Minoans in various shapes including snakes, wreaths, figure 8’s, horseshoes or Greek letters. I made dual coloured Greek plaited shortbread called Koulouria which were made with 3 flavour profiles. I felt they aptly reflected the triple aspect of Hekate and the fact they are braided means you can weave your magical intention within them as they are made. Here is my recipe for you to try which I have detailed at the link below:

Koulouria – Chocolate & Vanilla Twists with Orange Kick

In her name

Setjataset

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(c) T. Georgitsis 2010, Updated 2023

 

Dionysus

Was out making offerings to Pan in honour of my late father years back and Dionysus came through which totally surprised me.  I had been feeling the “pull” of Dionysus when it came to my dancing and it felt only right to honour him by having rites in his name.

Under a canopy of fig, laurel and ivy I placed a sacred earthly shrine in my back garden and I have honoured him there ever since:

 

Offerings of Greek Village Bread, Almonds and Rare Port

A keepsake box with an image of Dionysus and his Maenads which I got during my last trip to Greece

and which I keep my dancing finger cymbals in.

Recipe: Anastasia’s Spiral Pita

As a devotion for the Feast of Hekate today (13th of August) which honours her storm aspect,  I personally like to leave offerings at crossroads to appease her.  This is one of my mother’s recipes which I feel is very apt as an offering for Hekate:

Anastasia’s Spiral Pita

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons of medium or short grain rice
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 6-8 spring onions chopped
• 400g frozen spinach, thawed, drained, chopped and squeezed dry
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• 125g cottage or ricotta cheese (I like to use a hard Greek cheese grated like Kasseri or Kefalotyri or alternatively I just use more feta)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 generous pinch of nutmeg
• 1 packet filo pastry

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Place olive oil in a fry pan and heat. Add rice and onion and slowly cook until transparent and tender.
3. In a bowl place spring onions, spinach, feta, cottage cheese (other cheese preferred), egg, dill and nutmeg. Mix through with clean fingertips ensuring mixture is thoroughly blended.
4. Place unrolled filo pastry sheet on a floured flat surface and cut into strips approximately 12cm wide.
5. Evenly spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the middle of the filo pastry strip.
6. Fold the vertical ends of the filo strip over so they touch ensuring the mixture stays within and pinch the filo together forming a tube around the mixture. Pinch the ends as well so the mixture doesn’t seep out.
7. Take one end of the filled strip and roll it towards itself until it forms a spiral. You have now created a spiral pita.
8. Repeat with remaining filo until you have used all of the filling.
9. Arrange spirals on a large baking tray at least 5cm apart and brush with a little olive oil.
10. Bake 15 -20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Note: I have family members who instead of adding 125g of other style cheese they add 125g of mushed pumpkin or zucchini.

Recipe and Image (C) T. Georgitsis