Pagan Poetry

Called

Among the colorful wildflowers
and green clover
the morning dew glistens,
white as quartz
while shining in the eyes
of Horus
Ra and Thoth
watching and protecting
those called to worship.


© CricketSong, 2010

Hekate, Dark Goddess of the Crossroads

Hekate is the Greek Goddess of the crossroads, the torch bearer and the holder of the key. She is the Goddess of the darkness, who guides Persephone on her way to the underworld every year. She is a Goddess of magic and sorcery and a consort to witches. Daughter to Perses and Asteria, Hekate is often seen as a crone, and with three faces to represent the three fold Goddess. She is also said to have assisted with childbirth, and her symbols are the serpent, dogs, the key, and the torch.

Often a misunderstood Goddess, because of her great power, she has been demonized as an evil sorceress. Many cultures have deemed wise and powerful women as evil, because they are afraid of their power. Dont be afraid to work with this Goddess. She has been very helpful in my life, and she is at this point, my main Goddess. She may be firm, but that doesn't make her evil. She is full of wisdom and knowledge, and she is an ancient Goddess. There is some speculation, that she was actually an Anatolian Goddess, that was later adopted by the Greeks. Which would make her much older by a few thousand years.

Her ancient days of worship for the Greeks were August 13 and November 30. Although the Romans observed the 29th of every month as her sacred day. You can call on her when you are at a crossroads in your own life, and are not sure which path to take. She will light her great torch, and light your way.

For a quick little ritual and honoring of Hekate, a good time to pray to her is on the waning or dark moon. Have on your altar, a black candle dressed with lavender oil, make an incense with her sacred herbs, resins and oils. And recite the hymn to Hekate by Orpheus.

Incense recipe (taken from the book : Hekate, Keys to the Crossroads by Sorita D'Este)
1 tbsp copal resin
1 tbsp crushed lavender
5 drops cypress oil
1 drop patchouli oil
pinch of saffron

Recite:

I call Einodian Hekate, lovely dame,
Of earthly, watery, and celestial frame,
Sepulchral, in a saffron veil arrayed,
Pleased with dark ghosts that wander thro' the shade;
Persian, unconquerable huntress hail!
The world's key-bearer never doomed to fail;
On the rough rock to wander thee delights,
Leader and nurse be present to our rites;
Propitious grant our just desires success,
Accept our homage, and the incense bless.

Enjoy your experience with this dark Goddess!


Blessings )O(



Photo courtesy of Jessica Galbreth Art

To see this post on the original blog check out: Love of the Goddess blog

Old Rose and Lavender Potpourri

For hundreds of years, people have invented ways of preserving the fresh fragrance of flowers and herbs to sweeten the indoor air. Here is a simple, classic potpourri recipe you can try, but don't be afraid to experiment with your own formulas.

Potpourri Recipe

* 1/2 cup rose petals* 1/2 cup lavender blossoms* 1/2 cup sweet woodruff* 1/2 cup pot marjoram leaves and blossoms* 1/4 cup mint* 2 teaspoons orange peel* 2 teaspoons whole cloves* 1/2 teaspoon crushed cinnamon stick* 2 drops each of lavender and rose oils* 1/2 teaspoon powdered orrisroot

Combine the first eight ingredients. Sprinkle the oils and the orrisroot over the dry ingredients and mix well. Place in a covered jar, and stir gently every few days for a month, until the scents have blended and mellowed. Remove the jar's cover to freshen a room, but be sure to replace the cover between times of use. All potpourris need time to recoup their scents. The above recipe will also work well in sachets.

By Lady Abigail
You can stay up-to-date with Lady Abigail's writing at Ravensgrove Coven on facebook.

"The Sacrifice of the Heart" by Sunil P. Narayan

Sacrifice of The Heart

A capsule of love is sitting in my heart
It grows like the thick hairs on your mountainous chest
I sit in a meditative state, chanting your name till Sūrya arises
Calmness and warmth, the two things he taught me

Saraṇyū runs away from him every night, frightened and secretive
Sunlight rushes into the world as the Aśvinau storm through the sky in their chariots
I close my eyes to prevent any pain from occurring
But open to see nothing while your breath trickles down my neck

Your scent of trees with pine needles containing clear sap
The birds singing a song of romantic mating
No! Don’t feed me your sap, my lord!
Rub it onto my lips as if they were your sweat

We slither into the corridor under a grassy hill
All the way into another world of playful fairies
Little moss-covered wooden homes surround a clear clairvoyant lake
Lamps adorn the water, unmoving but showing me the whole earth

I do not know what you want me to do tonight
But I caught myself obeying your every command, a hornet in your catacomb
Ensnare my seducing eyes to make me see just your body which
crushes me into glass pieces
Your voice screams like a wolf when mating

When you are done I am gone: an existence leaving behind encapsulated love
Your soul is not in your body so devour it!
I am the reason for you to continue living in a demon-filled world
Sūrya gave me love to give to you!

Your tears become little drops of pearls for which the fairies hurriedly gather
The door for this world is sealed shut as you dwell in a cage of timeless ecstasy




Sunil's work has been a long, enriching journey that absorbed the world's eccentricities to create a masterpiece of color, surrealism and human emotion. The past two years witnessed a climatic moment in which his writing churned out emotionally-inducing poems. It is his intent to help people access feelings they rarely get to experience. Sunil is from Oregon.

Book Review: "A Wild Light" by Marjorie M. Liu

"Obsidian shadows of the flesh…tattoos with hearts, minds, and dreams. By day, they are my armor. By night, they unwind from my body to take on forms of their own—demons of the flesh, turned into flesh." ~Marjorie M. Liu

From this quote on the book jacket, I knew this was going to be a mind expanding book to read. The idea of tattoo's coming to life is a concept I have not come across in a book before, nor had I even contemplated this concept, yet, here it is, opening my mind up to a myriad of possibilities.

This book is a demon whose claws grip you, not letting up until it has you in it's thrall. The suspense and the action draw you into it's web, while it's words haunt you, begging entrance to your mind.

This dark fantasy is reminiscent of Clive Barker's Weaveworld, in it's grasp of other worlds. It depicts a world of magic that exists within our own world, unveiling demons and lightbringers, zombies and avatars, and other fantastic and supernatural creatures from behind the Veil.

The story begins with Maxine killing a zombie, a yearly ritual on her birthday, which is also the anniversary of her mother's death. Then it's off to the birthday party, with pies made by her grandfather. Next thing she knows, she awakens in a pool of blood, next to the dead body of her grandfather, remembering nothing, not even her Lightbringer soul mate.

From there, we are taken into her world, that world of magic that no one in this world remembers anymore. The Veil has been ripped, demons hover, waiting to descend upon us, seeking vengeance and death, and it's up to Maxine and her Lightbringer boyfriend Grant, and her personal demons, to save us all. Can she hold back the forces of evil, the demons from beyond the Veil, or will our world be destroyed by demons, whom she surrealistically imagines could soon be marching down the streets of Seattle?

This book goes from surreal to fantasy to action and adventure to romance, moving quickly, sinking it's claws into our minds, and leaving it's demon tracks there. We are made to remember how magical this world can be, with her fantastic creatures, and mesmerizing words. This is our world and then some, as we step sideways into another world, that lies waiting for us in this book.

This is the third Hunter Kiss novel in the series. If the first two are anything like this, I must find them, I must read them, inhale them, bring their world into alignment with my own, for I cannot live without these words opening up my mind, even further. Any fan of the supernatural will love this book, as will any fantasy fan. I believe that every fan will find something within these pages that will resonate deep within them, and keep them up late, thinking about magic and mystery, demons and dreams.






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Marjorie M. Liu's Website

"A Wild Light" on Amazon

The first two Hunter Kiss novels on Amazon:
Book 1: The Iron Hunt

Book 2: Darkness Calls
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May the books of our lives, always open our minds just a tad bit more...
Walk in Beauty,
Michelle