Greetings, Astro friends! I'm excited to share my journey with you as I embarked on a two-session workshop called "Call Down the Planets" at Kepler College. In this fabulous super hands-on workshop, our first assignment was to choose a planet to work with for ritual and talisman. As luck would have it, there’s a New Moon in Leo, the Sun's domicile, which inspired me to work with the Moon and asteroid Hekate throughout this Moon cycle. My goal is to create a course of ritual that leads us into the liminal space and create a talisman to represents asteroid Hekate.
Hekate was the 100th asteroid to be discovered, by Canadian-American astronomer J. C. Watson (his fourth discovery) on July 11, 1868. It is named after Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft in Greek mythology, but its name also commemorates its discovery as the hundredth asteroid, as ἑκατόν (hekaton) is Greek for 'hundred'.
In Greek mythology, Hecate is depicted as a three-headed or three-bodied goddess of darkness, fertility, the moon, street, and the underworld. It is said that she helped Demeter in the search for her daughter, Persephone, in the underworld. She also accompanies Persephone when she spends six months of the year in the underworld. Hecate holds a torch to light the darkness and keys to open the door to other realms.
Hekate, is considered the mother of all witches and is revered as a powerful and mysterious deity by practitioners of witchcraft around the world. Her expertise in the use of herbs and potions is legendary, and her knowledge of the natural world is said to be unparalleled.
During the dark moon phase, I carefully selected the chart with Sagittarius rising, Leo in the 9th house, and Hekate at 10º, Moon at 16º, Venus at 19º, Sun at 22º, and Black Moon Lilith at 24º, all in Leo. This makes Moon's next aspect the conjunction with Venus, and it's essential to elect the time when the Moon's next aspect is favorable.
In the workshop, I also learned that the Moon represents the beginning of things, while the dispositor of the Moon (in this case, Sun) represents the outcome. The dark moon phase brings with it an air of mystery, unseen aspects, and liminal spaces. These are perfect for tapping into our inner realm and experiencing moments of solitude. Think of the Moon's light as a reflection of our outer selves. Now, when the Moon is in complete darkness, it's like there's no outer self to be seen. Instead, our intuitive and psychic self takes center stage. It's a magical time, that Hekate can be felt most up-close and personal.
The outcome, represented by the Sun, is a dignified and powerful force. Keeping this in mind, I anticipate that my efforts will be fruitful and that I will create something truly special. The talisman will represent a sense of authority and allow me to channel my heartfelt experiences into this sacred work. This moon will be full in Pisces, which happens to be a “Blue Moon” (2nd full moon in same month), makes this moon cycle extra special.
The next day on the New Moon, my mission is be to set up an altar to represent the goddess Hekate. This involves carefully selecting appropriate items to place on the altar. I gathered a large key object, an Ouija board tray, candles, tea set, and some jewelry. Then, I pulled a tarot card for a significator from The Muse Tarot by Chris-Ann and got the Three of Emotions, which is a perfect card signifying the triple moon goddess Hekate!
After setting up an altar, I spent some time researching "Hekate" on the World Wide Web to get to know her better. During my search, I came across a book called "Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate's Modern Witchcraft" by Cyndi Brannen and ordered it on Amazon. I have decided to devote one hour every morning to reading the book and doing the exercises.
Then had a opening tea ceremony with tea I blend under Dark Moon.
