Celebrating Spirituality - January 31, 2013

Celebrating Spirituality

On this day:

Feast of Hecate

Hecate is one of the oldest embodiments of the Triple moon Goddess worshiped today.  She holds power over the heavens, the earth, and the underworld, where she is in control of birth, life, and death.  Hecate is the giver of visions, magick, and regeneration.  Her chief symbol is the crossroads where all paths connect – the past where one has been, the present where one stands, and the future where one is headed.  In ancient Rome, statues of Hecate were placed at the important crossroads.  Those who frequently traveled would make offerings to the Goddess in return for her blessings.

 

Magical Activity:

Hecate Blessing Rite

Items Needed: An altar or small table covered with a black cloth; one black candle; a glass or chalice filled with red wine; patchouli incense; a plate filled with bread, goat cheese, and smoked fish; the Wheel of Hecate symbol inscribed with silver ink on black card stock. (The wheel should be the size of a dessert or small dinner plate.)

To begin the rite, light the black candle as you say:

Mistress of magick,

Great Hecate,

Let your light

Now lead the way.

Set the plate of food on top of the Wheel of Hecate.  Hold your hands over the food and ask Hecate to bless it as follows:

I summon thee by Witches rune,

Waxing light and waning moon.

With the turning of the tide,

All that’s past be laid aside.

Threefold Goddess of the night,

Bless me from the shadows light.

Banish now all trouble and fear,

Bring me happiness for all the year.

You will now want to bless the wine by holding your hands over the chalice or glass of wine as you say:

Let now the knowledge of the light,

Bring me wisdom and inner sight.

For all that was, has now passed away,

That new beginnings shall come my way.

In honor of Hecate, eat a portion of the food and drink some of the wine.  Take a few moments to reflect on the rite, and then extinguish the black candle as you say:

O glorious Hecate you are my power,

Bless me my Lady from this hour.

To ensure that Hecate will bless you in the coming year, you must now take the remaining food and wine to the nearest crossroads and leave it.  Place the food in the center of the crossroads and pour the wine over it.  As you do this, ask Hecate to bless you.  When you return home, clear the altar, and hang the Wheel of Hecate over your altar or bed.

 

Medical tip of the day:

Ailments and remedies

Yoga is of great therapeutic benefit for a wide variety of common ailments.  Whatever your ailment, however, you should be sure to make a balanced basic sequence the core of your practice.  For newcomers to yoga it is advisable to attend a class with a skilled yoga teacher.  If you have a chronic ailment, consult a professional yoga therapist.

Respiratory disorders – Yoga asanas generally helps most respiratory disorders, notably colds, coughs, flu, sinusitis, and hay fever.  You should keep up your practice of basic asanas and pay attention to deep, rhythmic breathing.  Eat a light cleansing diet.  A period of relaxation in the corpse pose is beneficial if you have a temperature.  A nasal wash and kapalabhati, a special breathing exercise which clears and stimulates the upper respiratory tract, may also be helpful.

 

Herb of the day:

Calamus (Poison)

Folk Names: Gladdon, Myrtle Sedge, Sweet Root

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Moon

Element: Water

Powers: Luck, Healing, Money, Protection

Magical Uses:

The seeds are strung as beads and used for healing, or the powdered root is used in healing incenses and sachets.

Small pieces of the root kept in all corners of the kitchen protect against hunger and poverty.

Growing the plant brings good luck to the gardener, and Calamus is also used to strengthen and bind spells.

Stone of the Day:

Unakite

Unakite is a stone of vision.  It balances emotions with spirituality.  Placed on the third eye, it opens it and promotes visualization and psychic vision.  This stone also provides grounding when it is needed and can be useful after meditation or psychic work.

Unakite can be used as a casting crystal for scrying, signifying where compromise and integration are needed.  The best way to use it is with ten or twelve other suitable stones.  The tumbled stones should be kept together in a bag.  One stone is then selected to answer a question, or a handful are cast onto a scrying wheel.

Placed in the environment, either as a large piece or as several tumbled stones in a bowl, Unakite brings a calm gentle energy and can negate the effects of electromagnetic pollution from television sets if placed on top or close by.

Unakite facilitates rebirthing, bringing to light and integrating insights from the past about the cause of blockages, and gently releasing conditions that inhibit spiritual and psychological growth.  It is also helpful in past-life healing for going back to the source of a problem and reframing it.  Unakite can be held or placed on the third eye for this purpose.

Whether disease arises in the far or near past, Unakite reaches the root cause of it at whatever level it occurs, bringing it to the surface so that it can be transformed.

Healing: Unakite is supportive in convalescence and recovery from a major illness.  It treats the reproductive system, stimulates weight gain where required, and aids healthy pregnancy and the growth of skin tissue and hair.