~ Deity Work: Aphrodite ~ PROPERTIES & OFFERINGS

When I say "connect with nature" I don't just mean the aesthetic forests with deer and beautiful flowers.

I mean the weeds growing through concrete, the fungus that grows on the rotten shed, the nettles that always seem to return and the scary, spindly cellar spider in the corner of the bathroom.

Nature is not always pretty or magical - the pigeons and seagulls you swat at are nature too, the wasps and flies that hover by your meals are animals too, store-bought strawberries and the leaves that fall from your neighbour's tree are not all that different from the Giant Sequoias and it's seeds.

If you want to connect and understand nature, I mean *really* connect to it, in it's entirety, you have to seek out and learn about the ugly, scary and mundane things as well. You don't have to like it, just don't forget that it's there.

Noumenia Blessings!

On the day when the first sliver of moon begins to show, we give offerings to our household gods. These gods often include, but are not limited to, Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, Hekate, and Apollon in their household aspects. I adorned my hearth with flowers and gave offerings of home baked honey cakes, wine, honey, and incense, while reading the Orphic Hymns of the household gods. I always find the Noumenia to feel like a clean slate, where we can go into the next lunar cycle with a fresh start.

CERBERUS

altars for greek gods

this post includes hades, persephone, artemis, apollo, aphrodite, hermes, and hekate. for part 2 including zeus, hera, poseidon, hestia, hephaestus, dionysus, ares, demeter, and athena click here, for the titans and protogenoi click here.

keep in mind that this is largely UPG, new age stuff, and historically accurate offerings to the gods include meat, wine, grain (specifically barley), honey, and incense (myrrh and frankincense).

colors can be used for candles, banners, decor, whatever you want

HADES

Colors: black, red, and white for association with death. purple and metallics for association with riches/wealth

Offerings: mint, asphodel, white poplar, pomegranate, coffee, cinnamon, elm, money, chocolate

Crystals: gemstones, black crystals (obsidian, black tourmaline, smokey quartz, etc.), pyrite, hematite, labradorite

Animals: black ram, owl, serpent, Cerberus

PERSEPHONE

Colors: purple, pink, yellow, green for association with springtime. black and metallics for association with Hades. white for purity.

Offerings: pomegranate, flowers, grains, asphodel, lavender, rosemary

Crystals: amethyst, gemstones, moss/tree agate, milk quartz, jade, lepidolite

Animals: deer, ram, bat, talking birds (including parrots)

APHRODITE

Colors: red and pink for love/sexuality. white and blue for association with the ocean. gold for association with, well, gold.

Offerings: roses, chocolate, shells, myrrh, gold

Crystals: rose quartz, pearl, emerald, opal, aquamarine, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, ocean jasper, morganite

Animals: swan, dove, hare

ARTEMIS

Colors: white, blue, black, and grey for association with the heavens. brown and green for association with nature/the hunt.

Offerings: moon shaped foods, frankincense, cypress, mugwort, amaranth

Crystals: morganite, moonstone, aventurine, selenite, celestite, moss/tree agate, amethyst, quartz (specific dendritic), labradorite, silver

Animals: deer, wolf, wild boar

APOLLO

Colors: yellow, white, and blue for association with the heavens. red, orange, and pink for healing. purple and green for the Oracle

Offerings: sun shaped foods, bay leaves, laurel, cypress, playing music, poetry

Crystals: sunstone, amber, calcite (specifically honey and yellow), quartz (specifically rutilated or clear), rose quartz, silver

Animals: cow, snake, hawk, crow/raven, cicada, swan, bees

HERMES

Colors: green and gold for money/luck. white and brown for travels.

Offerings: money, crocus/saffron, strawberries

Crystals: jade, malachite, fluorite, pyrite, lapis lazuli, citrine, alexandrite

Animals: tortoise, ram

HEKATE

Colors: purple, blue, and green for magic. red and black for association with underworld

Offerings: garlic, saffron, crossroad dirt, black salt, ashes, sage, cedar, yew

Crystals: labradorite, obsidian, hematite, black tourmaline, amethyst, bloodstone, serpentine, lepidolite

Animals: wolf, boar, serpent, lion, horse, cow

I found these awesome crystal bullets at the flea market today so I gave them to Lord Ares

Spell Bags

What Are Spell Bags?

Spell Bags are usually small bags that contain a range of ingredients linked to the intention of your spell. They can sometimes be known as different names, or have slight cultural differences. For the purpose of this post I will refer to a spell bag, but they may also be called spell sachets, charm bags, and in some cultures, mojo bags (please do your own research). You can also make spell jars, which are pretty much the same, only you use a jar and not a bag.

Bag Colors

Gold - wealth, protection, the God Silver - prosperity, the moon, the Goddess Yellow - healing Orange - travel, communication, messages Green - nature, growth, prosperity, abundance, friendship Blue - peace, calm, wisdom, benevolence Purple - wisdom, wealth, grandeur, mysteries, justice Red - success, romance, strength, protection Pink - love, healing, friendship Black - absorbs negative energy

How to Make a Spell Bag

Think about your intention for making the spell bag… Why are you making it?… What do you want to get from it?

Think about ingredients you want to put into the spell bag and their correspondences… What ingredients will fit into your spell bag?… What specific ingredients are associated with your intentions (for example, what herbs are used for protection)

Collect your bag and ingredients, and focus your intent on each of them. You may also want to write a magickal chant. This can be simply read out, or written down to leave inside the spell bag.

Assemble your spell bag.

Spend time either meditating on your intention, or reciting your magickal chant.

Find a place to put your spell bag. This may simply be on your altar, or in your pocket. Alternatively, there may be a specific place you want to put it (such as by your bed for a sleep spell bag, or in the corner of your room for protection).

Tip-Jar

do you know your holy relics?

prints

Common Misconceptions About the Goddess Hekate

Many of these misconceptions can be very popular, but have no historical backing.

-She is a “crone goddess”

This misconception probably comes from more recent literary representations of her. In Ancient Greek religion she was always portrayed as a young maiden.

-She is a “triple goddess” or the Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess is a purely modern creation/belief. This concept of deity was created in the mid 1900s along with Wicca. Since Hekate predates Wicca and neo-pagan movements by about 2,000 years, she couldn’t really be the Triple Goddess. She is not a Wiccan deity, so therefore, she would not be defined or characterized by a Wiccan concept of deity. While she is commonly portrayed as three women, that was only to depict her domain over the three way crossroads, unlike the Triple Goddess whose aspects each represent a different thing.

-Hekate is not a witch goddess

This is so far from true. Even if this role isn’t one of her original roles, such as the ones described by Hesiod, this aspect did become quite prevalent later in the Hellenic world. The evidence of her role as a witch goddess is very commonly portrayed in Ancient Greek literature and mythos. Kirke and Medea, arguably two of the most popular witches ever, were both priestesses, or in some cases daughters, of Hekate. Whenever witches performed their magic such as necromancy, binding spells, curses, image magic, and other spells, they called on Hekate. This relationship between witches and Hekate is not only shown in Greek literature but in Roman literature as well such as the tale of the witch Erichtho is Lucan’s Pharsalia.

-Hekate is JUST a witch goddess

Though her role as a witch goddess is probably the most popular in literature and with neo pagans and Wiccans, this is far from her only aspect. As described by Hesiod, she was a goddess of the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and a child protector. She was also known to be a goddess of the crossroads and the dead. She guards the gates to the underworld and holds dominions over the daemones (spirits) and ghosts. She also later became a goddess of the moon and is celebrated every dark moon at her Deipnon.

-Hekate is evil

This is more of a modern literary misconception. The Ancient Greeks did not believe in gods of pure good or pure evil. Each deity had aspects of both. The power to create or destroy. To bless or to curse.

This is your reminder to freshen up your wards. And maybe clean your sacred space.