The Super New Moon in Pisces : Third & Last New Moon of the Winter Solstice, A Christo-Pagan perspective & Astrological Links

The New Moon in Pisces by Cocorrina & Co

Many of you know that among the many traditions I practice, is an esoteric or occult form of Christianity and Judaism. From a Judeo-Christian perspective, this is the time for magic with Rabbi Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus Son of Joseph). Because of the miracle of the Fish, it was later taken as an early Christian symbol for his people.

The Gospel of Yohanan (John) 21:1-14, Yeshua replicates the fish and loaves of bread to feed everyone

In modern Astrology, the new moon is seen as a time of beginnings. In ancient astrology however, it’s a time of the dead. And often considered a time of bad luck. For the Romans, the Nones or New Moon was so unlucky, it didn’t even have a God presiding over it. Which meant it was devoid of power.

One would see two different perspectives here. One is the idea of miracles repeating. In modern astrology, Wiccans and other groups perform wishing rituals in which they burn papers with wishes and desires on them using magical candles. The request is sent to the universe. And in theory, the universe obliges you.

It’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s for another time.

The Christianized version of the Celtic Imbolc festival

So the miracle of the replicating fish makes a lot of sense here. In a sense you are replicating your desires and reeling them in with a net. But more important than that is enlightenment. The idea that Yeshua and his followers would become “fishers of men” and that rather than kill them, like fish, the men caught in his net would live forever. This isn’t me trying to convert you.

Depictions of Yeshua holding a magic wand

I’m speaking strictly of Christo-Pagan mysticism. Yeshua’s movement started out as a mystery religion. Where members were eventually sworn to secrecy. And they taught great magics. Including the ability to command the spirits.

To exorcise entities. To heal among other things. Sometimes just by speaking it into existence. But modern Christians follow the bloody dogma of the council of Nicea. The false doctrines of the Emperor Constantine I of Rome.

And with these false doctrines, the religion was demystified. Most of the love, hope, and the wonder this faith once taught, is gone. Like a chalice of fine wine that has been drained.

Meditate with the stars. And allow your miracles to grow.

Not just financial miracles. Everyone prays for more money. But not everyone stops to ask why do we pray for more money. And the answer to that question, is that we’re addicted to it. We live in a world where in most of the planet, you don’t have access to clean drinking water without money.

And thus this is also a time for us to see if we can make our dreams come true without money. Or if we do need it, how to replicate it. But not to become engulfed in selfishness. And not to be slaves of it. And that is probably the most important part of this lesson to learn.

How not to become enslaved by a material force.

Yeshua depicted as a Roman Wizard with a magic wand raising Lazarus from the dead. Notice he’s also clean shaven. From the article :
Jesus Holding a Magic Wand?
Supernatural depictions of Jesus in Early Christian art

Instead how to use the spirit to work with the material. Because material doesn’t have to be “evil” like many religions teach. I can hear my Gnostic Christian brethren screaming “blasphemy!” but it’s true. Just because something is dense or physical, does not innately make it bad. What’s bad is how it’s used.

But this is also a time of the dead. And it coincides not only with the Roman Parentalia, but also the Greek Anthesteria. Both being times to honor the dead. So the New Moon is a perfect and auspicious time for necromancers and those who work with the ancestors. In fact it magnifies those influences.

Also, Yeshua is a very chthonic God. After all he died and rose from the dead. And was a great necromancer of his time.

Baraka, Asherah, and the Gods of Ancient Palestine

Asherah (GOD the Mother) the GODDESS, the sister and wife of Adonai. Notice her depictions even in ancient statues are very close if not identical to imagery of the Virgin Mary. She is the Supreme Queen of Heaven. She and her daughter Sophia were renamed “the Holy Spirit” in the Bible. Notice almost all descriptions of the Holy Spirit or wisdom show it as a feminine force.

Now more to the point, there is type of energy in Hebrew magic called berakhah. Sometimes written as barak, baraka, bracha, brokho, brokhe. It can be translated as blessing or benediction. One person, a Judeo Christian mystic told me it’s also used sometimes for the word “lightning“. As the energy appears almost electrical sometimes.

It is a blessing or gift we all have which comes from the Elohim (the powerful ones). The ancient Hebrew Gods. Before Monotheism took hold over Judaism. There were many types of Elohim. In fact it’s believed by many that the Greek God Adonis was originally the Hebrew God Adon.

Each of the Elohim were children of Adonai (the Lord) and his wife and sister Asherah. God the Mother, the Mother Goddess. Asherah once had her idol right next to the ark of the covenant. It was a wooden pole dressed like a palm tree, which was sacred to her. Eventually the fanatical sect that worshiped only Adonai, cut down her pole.

And they destroyed imagery associated with the other Elohim. The Bible rewrote this horrific genocide and persecution as “righteousness” and “the will of Adonai”. In my work about Ghosts in Judeo-Christian religion I talk about how King Saul banned witches across Palestine. Despite the fact that witchcraft was a fixture in the Jewish faith. Even under his rule.

And the Witch of Endor was frightened of him being in her house. She believed he would kill her where he stood. Even though he came to her for answers when Adonai would no longer speak to him. It’s interesting here because the Bible acknowledges that her powers are real. And she actually did summon the Prophet Samuel’s Ghost.

It’s even more interesting because it’s mentioned that

“He inquired of Adonai, but Adonai did not answer him by dreams, or Urim, or prophets”.

– 1 Samuel 28:6

Urim is the casting of lots by the way. It was popular in the Middle East back then. These were considered acceptable ways to work with God. But when a Pagan does it to talk to their God/Goddess it’s “evil”. It isn’t the only time this happens by the way.

There are many cases of Jewish witches and wizards across the Bible. Including the prophets and priests of Israel who performed all sorts of ceremonial high magic.

The ark of the covenant attended to by one of the Kohanim, the ancient priests of Palestine descended from Aaron, the brother of Moshe (Moses)

Baraka is a divine power granted to worshippers of these Gods. Like the awen granted by the Irish Tuatha de Dannan. The ashe given by the Orishas of Nigeria. The ekat by the Netjer and Netjeru of Egypt, these are all powers. Some have the Baraka that grants prophesy.

Others material wealth. Still others healing. It all depends on the person and what they desire both in this and the other world. Now there are many Gods in this pantheon to work with. But for the sake of this article, I am specifically going to mention two :

Baal (Lord) Hammon, the God of fertility and renewer of all energy. And Dagon, originally a Sumerian God of fertility and fish. But as a Jewish mystic once told me,

“Many of the Gods in Hebrew Polytheism, originally came from the Sumerians,”

He also explained that holy symbols came from them too. The Star of David for instance. And even the Seal of the Prophets in Islam, were based on Sumerian symbols. Even the Hindus have much from the Sumerians. So as with many ancient religions of the Middle East, they are often our forefathers and foremothers.

Fertility Gods, particularly those who renew life and energy are perfect for prosperity Magic. And Lord Dagon also bring

How to work with Baraka

The Light of God
Image comes from Rabbi Fryer Modzin’s meditation videos on YouTube

Judeo-Christian witches and polytheists have a radically different perspective of the following text.

“Thou shalt not worship other Gods before me,” – Shemot (Exodus) chapter 20, verse 3.

If you read the Bible, you’ll know that Adonai asks for a lot of different offerings during the whole day. But he requires offerings at the very beginning of the day. And then a final offering at the end of the day as well. Now what does that sound like? A Gatekeeper! In the Greek religion it’s Hestia. In Santeria it’s Elegua.

In Vodou it’s Papa Legba. And some Occult Catholics view St. Peter as the Gatekeeper of the Christian religion. Chosen by Jesus because of the text where Jesus grants him the key to Heaven. And of course Protestant style magic users view Yeshua himself as the Gatekeeper for God. In my case I choose either Adonai or Yeshua.

Or sometimes Simeon son of Yonah (Simon son of Jonah). The original Hebrew name for Peter, before Yeshua gave him a new name after his initiation into his Mysteries. Or I choose Chokmah (Wisdom) the daughter of Adonai and Asherah. Also known as Sophia in Gnostic Christianity. Regardless, many who use traditional Hebrew magic give a first offering to Adonai.

In his name of El-Elyon (El Most High). Which is the origin of “God the most high” in English. The first offering can be anything. Something that comes from your heart. I use a special blend of incenses based on the Ketoret (Incense of the Temple) in the Bible.

This is a combination of frankincense, galbanum (a plant found in Iran), and most importantly, opobalsamum (a rare type of amber from a myrrh tree). In fact this is a high grade extract of light myrrh. And it’s believed by many sources to be the origin of the ingredient “Stacte” from the Ketoret. Now others have other beliefs about what constitutes the temple incense. But regardless this is a simplified version of it.

I buy it from Etsy.

Pray over it when you get the incense. And let the spirit of Adonai and Asherah flow into it. You can use an oil burner for this. Then walk around the house and purify it in the name of El-Elyon. This acts as both a purification and also an extension of the offering.

For Lord Hammon

For Baal Hammon I give him grain, a golden scented candle to symbolize his Kingship, honey, and fruits associated with male fertility. Such as mango. And anything that represents renewal of life. Save the candle for last, for this acts as the ‘ignition’ for the ritual to activate. Then pray,

“Oh Baal (Lord) of the land, sustainer of the crops, renewer of life, King of the lands, Hammon King of the Gods with power bestowed on you by the Great GOD and GODDESS, please bestow prosperity to me. In the form of…”

(Specify exactly what you want. If you have Bible paper, legal tender paper, or even bay leaves or brown paper bag, write your petition and burn it in the Golden Candle. Make sure you have a fire proof dish to burn the petition in).

When you finish say,

“Thank you O Baal for listening to my petition, I ask that if for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask, that you grant me the equivalent or something better, in the name of El Almighty, Amen,”

For Lord Dagon

A smoked fish, grain, sea iconography. Anything to do with the sea including shells. Or even symbols of fish or underwater creatures. Ironically (or perhaps not ironically at all) the Judeo-Christian fish symbol is perfect for him. It can even double as a representation of Rabbi Yeshua.

A scented blue candle that reminds you of the ocean. Prayer,

“Dagon, God who brings prosperity from the waves of the sea, hidden treasures on the ocean floor are yours to give and to take at your command, O divine master, bringer of fish, on this Pisces new moon, I ask you to magnify the power of prosperity and to bring unto me….”

(Make your petition, and as before, wait until the end to burn the candle).

“Father of the Sea, bringer of Prosperity, I end this work begging your guidance and any advice you have on how to acquire what I ask. If for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask for, then I ask for the equivalent or something better, Amen“

Then, give a final offering to El-Elyon. What I use for the final offering is a blessed candle. Shabbat candles, which are environmentally friendly and can be used for any ceremony. This seals the ritual. I leave the offerings on the table for three days.

Then I take Baal Hammon’s offerings to bury them on the land closest to my door to bring in blessings. But Dagon’s offerings go to any body of water. And of course I take a bottle of honey and pour a first libation for El-Elyon to send the offerings to these two Elohim. And then pour a second libation to him when I finish.

The empty candle jars I can recycle for future rituals to those Gods. Or maybe use them for talismans. I could even decorate them. Or simply dispose of them. I dispose of the wax at the areas where I bury the offerings.

This is a prosperity ritual I like to do with both these Gods. However, for some, a ritual to the Elohim might be better if it is with female Elohim. It depends on the ritual caster. And what type of prosperity you seek. I chose Fertility Gods because they can make money and other requests “fertile”.

Allowing them to replicate. Which is perfect for this time. For you, it may have to be someone else. I would look up the list of Bet-ilim and see which one is the one you are looking to work with. Though ultimately I would still pray and work with Dagon if only because this new moon is ruled by Pisces.

So now that I have written all about my particular point of view and Christo Pagan practices, I am going to add some astrological links as well.

New Moon in Pisces

Cuspy early PISCES New Moon w. Saturn finish of AQ (Feb 19 / 20) – Past Management: Unity & Coherence

Welcome Pisces New Moon!

The New Moon in Pisces in February

Feralia, February’s Roman Equivalent of Irish Samhain

Folklore Fairy Queen: Goddesses and the Fairy Queen Archetype

Moon brewing… a Kombucha tale

Learning to Love Astrology: A Poem

Belief in Gods?

The Daffodil Beast

Happy New Moon Everyone…..

– M

Random Links of the Day : Friday the 13th Edition!

Welcome to the first Random Links of the New Year! Today is the birthday of the Magician John Dee. The Founder of Enochian Magic. The personal occult advisor of Queen Elizabeth. And a powerful Divine Magician, a Mage who gains powers from holy beings such as the Angels. And his birthday coincides with Friday the 13th this year.

I had written a blog about that a few years ago but I can’t remember exactly when that happened. So to start off, here is an amazing article by Icy Sedgwick on John Dee. It includes an image of the varying crystal that supposedly was granted to him by the Archangel Uriel. By the way Icy is an amazing author who has written the Necromancer book series. A really dark version of Harry Potter.

I freaking love it! So please check out Icy’s books!

John Dee and his friend and colleague Edward Kelly, the Angelmancer and Scryer who would receive visions from Uriel via a crystal ball. Behind John Dee you can see the spirit of a woman. Most likely a shade of the dead conjured by them both from a cemetery. To read more on that and also on Edward Kelly’s necromancy for here

Friday the 13th and the Divine Feminine

Omens & Symbols : Friday the 13th

The History of Friday the 13th

Haunted Houses are nothing compared to Haunted Lighthouses

The Glowing Orbs of Route 66

The Ancient Tale Of Gello, The Supernatural Baby-Snatcher by the Historian’s Hut

9 Foot Skeleton Found in the 1900’s

Nian : The Monster Behind Chinese New Year & Firecrackers by Hatty Liu

These passages are from Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica (1563), a work in which Dee provides an explanation for his famous Monad symbol. In Latin he’s showing the Monad Sigil is actually the combination of the signs for the moon, sun, elements (+) and finally fire. Which would explain why it has its own magical powers. It’s because of all the power is already contained within the sigil itself.

The Rune Soup interview on “John Dee and the Empire of Angels”

Whom do Banshees’ visit? The Visitation Rites of Banshees

The Wisdom of Cherokee Billie E-Book

A Story of Loss, Meaning, and Mutual Aid (Funeral Rites for a Neigboor’s Pet)

Monkey’s made stone tools in the Americas, not humans Scientists say

The Lost City of Zezuria, the City of Little Birds

Tending the Hearth Fire Modernly

Schedule a reading with Psychic Cherokee Billie

Friday and Thirteen: A Brief History by Christine Valentor

The New Version of Magical Prayers (From a Catholic Occultist, fascinating blog)

In Ghana, the New Year Starts With a Fancy Dress Masquerade

The Story of how an Heiress who lived to be 104 saved the Ossabaw Hogs in a Heist for Conservation. An eccentric heiress, a daring mission, and the fight for North America’s most unusual pig.

How do you get rid of Demons? You challenge the Fuckers to an ultimate Dance Off! At a Festival in Bhutan, Some Dancers Bare All to Ward Off Evil Spirits

The Ghost House and House of Witches : Villa de Vechhi

12 Famous Graves

Hawaiian Adventure Shamanism

Add DE to Your Protective Circle – a Hearth Witch Tip

The Serpent King and the Prince (Another blogger worth reading on here, amazing post!)

The Witch’s Rest from New World Witchery

Happy Friday the 13th!

– M

How Orula became Otura Niko, the Foreman of Death

Since writing about Otura Niko, I got curious and wanted to know more about it. I had never heard of this sign before. And I wanted to trace its origin. I think I found the possible origin. Translated from the original Spanish article here.

In the land of Yewe Inle, there was a time when there was a terrible drought. Everything was a great disaster. It was then when the main kings met with the Obá Ikú (king death), Elegua, and Iroko to deliberate in an assembly. The result of that assembly was that everyone should do Ebó. The last three, as they had no money for the Ebó, decided to ask Oba Ikú for twenty-four coins, he accepted.

But with the condition that they pay him back within three days. They formally promised to do so. When the three days passed. Obá Ikú went to Elegba’s house to collect. He found him sitting in the doorway of the house, he refused to pay.

Obá Ikú bashed him with his cane and killed him. And made a hill of crab land (Ilekan) and buried him there. Together with his hand of Ifá, he sacrificed a rooster for him, and said:

“From today onward, you will be the Orisha (God) Elegua,”

Obá Ikú continued to the house of Iroko. And found him in the heart of the mountain. He asked for his money back. But he refused. And so Obá Ikú took his cane and killed him.

Throwing two majá that Iroko had in his room, two white jars, and killing a white chicken, he sang to him:

“IROKO DILOYU, IROKO DILOYU, BABA IKU EGUN LAYE, IROKO DILOYU,”

(ROCO DILOYU, IROCO DILOYU, FATHER OF DEATH CURSED IN LIFE, IROCO DILOYU)

And he said to Iroko,

“You will become an Orisha, everyone will worship you,”

And at that moment a sacred tree rose, which is the Iroko. Obá Ikú sent an envoy to Orunmila. Who by now had made his daily divination and saw the Odu (text) Otura Niko. So he performed an Ebó, feeding his ancestors along with the land and his Ifá, and he prepared a large casserole of ajiaco.

Otura Niko becomes a child when Obá Ikú arrived

Orunmila invited him to lunch, when they finished Obá Ikú thought:

“I killed Elegba and Iroko, I must now finish with Orunmila as well,”

Obá Ikú raised his scythe to land a blow to Orunmila. But he dodged the blow of Obá Ikú. Who then pursued him tenaciously. And while he was escaping, Orunmila performed sarayeye (cleansing by rubbing a sacred object on the body) using the stick known as Espanta Muerto (frighten the dead). A cleansing to keep him safe from death.

And he arrived at the river. Out of fear, Orunmila leaped into the River. But Obá Ikú absorbed the river to catch him. But Orunmila still escaped. Then Obá Iku, disheartened, walked away.

Leaving Orunmila the victor. The river continued its normal course. And Orunmila came out of the water singing:

“IRE IRE WANWAN LELE ASHE IFA”

(GOOD LUCK WANWAN LELE DIVINE GRACE OF IFA)

Then Orula transforms into a child, to avoid being recognized and starts crying. He stands at the foot of a laurel bush, which had a lot of curujey (West Indian tufted airplant) on top and continued to cry. At that moment he meets two women who were passing through. They prepared a jar and opened one of the jugs. And filled it and leaves, some plants and placed the child (Orunmila) inside and took him to the house of Olodumare. One of them suckled him from her breast.

She was called Aiyé (life).

Kneeling Yoruba woman and her baby from Discover African Art

When they arrived at Olofin’s (GOD’s) house, the child surprises everyone by speaking to Olofin and tells him that he wants Aiyé to take him home. She rejects this, but because it was a direct order from Olodumare, Aiyé accepted and took him. She prepared a mat next to hers. When night came Orunmila returns to her in his normal adult state and says:

“I am Otura Niko and now I am your husband. With these transformations I defeated Obá Ikú. Because I am the foreman of the Egun (dead). But never reveal this secret to anyone,”

The woman was engaged and they lived happily. Where the fame of Otura Niko began to spread throughout that land.

After some time,

Shango, Egun, and Oshumare come to visit Otura Niko. To receive them all worthily, he tells his wife, Aiyé, to cook great delicacies. She replies in front of Shango:

“I have no time,”

Then Otura Niko threatens her. And she mocks and insults him, saying:

“You are only great because you are the foreman of the Egun (dead) and capable of shape shifting,”

At the moment, Otura Niko took his Irofá and ran after her. She was on her way to Olofin. But before arriving, Otura Niko caught up with her and gave her a blow from his Irofá and killed her. Then he said,

“I killed you for violating your oath,”

(You see, his power was in that he had become the foreman of the dead. And apparently, no one knew that. Nor that he was such a mighty shape shifter. To know the secret was to share in the power. And I suspect that Orunmila also didn’t want Iku, the Orisha of death, to know the secret of his survival).

Immediately, he made a pact with Shango. Also giving him the secret and the ashé (power) of Otura Niko. He took Aiyé and buried her. Then he put his Ifá next to her tomb and gave 2 black chickens to the spirit of Aiyé. Along with his Ifá.

And put the chickens with Ekó to Egun. They lowered the vultures and ate them. Letting him know the power of Egun that he had.

Prayer of Otura Niko, Otura Ogbe

“Otura Niko adifafun iku alashona oumbo wa ni eshu ishonshon oba lele iroko oba lele orunmila ore lawa oba iku yen ore amaiyekun belele iya lele lokua ariku omi orunmila oun sede otura niko umbo atefa ni egun agboran iku agboran olofin yewe inle oba iku onika ododo sekun iroko segun gbogbo iya kalalu elebo owunko elebo moyeni iku orunmila akue ye akualosiña iya laye oba iku,”

(Otura Niko, the death of our child’s mother, is the God’s faith, the king, the king, the king, the king of death, the king of death, the eternal friend of the mother, the king of heaven, he is the king of heaven).

It’s unknown if Otura Niko was named after him. Since he ritually becomes the “foreman of the dead” after this. Or if the Odu (text) already existed prior to him taking on this title. But that doesn’t really matter at this point. As the Foreman of the dead, Orula is immune to death.

He’s also shown to be a masterful shapeshifter. So he could take on any variety of forms and escape Iku. And foreman is another term for supervisor. Perhaps it even means he could command the dead in this form. Or command Iku to leave him be.

I’m not sure yet. I have to ask my Babalawo about his knowledge concerning the text. And see from there what happens. Take care of everyone. And as usual, be safe.

– M

The Eggun or dead, looking at their own corpses on a battlefield

The Noumenia : Day 3 (The Last Day) Agathos Daimon

Well, we are finally at the last day of the Noumenia. The day when we finish the festival. This one is an odd mix of the first two. It’s a semi stay at home festival. It focuses on non human as well as human spirits.

Our Agathos Daimoi (Good Spirits) or spirit guides. Those spirits who have watched over us since the days of our birth. In ancient times they were honored with huge feasts in the household. The family would gather round. Like Christmas it was a family celebration.

Usually everyone in the family participated in thanking and honoring their Daimoi. Followers of the Theoi and Theia are still here. And so, modern temples who worship the Gods come together in temple celebrations to honor their good spirits. In my case and in the case of many other people, I do it alone. I do have a temple, but we don’t always celebrate the Noumenia together.

Agathos Daimon of the House on a limestone relief

And they use the modern calculation of the New Moon. The timing I use was revealed to me. And it took me a long time just to study. So I choose to do it my reconstructed way.

Sunset

We begin our celebration as always at sunset, marking the next day. We set up a shrine to our Agathos Daimoi. Now my shrine is personal to me and so I can’t snap a picture of it. But what they have are typically images of protective spirits. This also includes our ancestors because they are also our Agathos Daimoi.

A warrior statue of someone’s Agathos Daimon

Now they don’t have to be Greek spirit guides. Any spirit guide is an Agathos Daimoi no matter what culture they come from. I personally have native and African guides among many others. And their images adorn my shrine. Now the images can be anything.

If you have plant spirit guides, place potted plants or images of those plants at the shrine. If you have guides who are ancestors, place their pictures there. If your guide is a guardian Angel then place a warrior Angel statue in the shrine. If you are protected by a specific Saint or Demi God also place an image of them there. There is no wrong or right way to do this.

An example of someone’s personal shrine to their Agathos Daimon. As you can see, the imagery doesn’t have to be a solid picture. It can be anything. Any idol you chose as long as it has meaning for you and your guides.

I use to have this book shelf dedicated just to them. I placed all my guides images there. An old associate of mine who practices Voodoo and Hoodoo managed to get her hands on a bakery rack. And she uses it for all of her guides to have a place in her room. Now, on to the God of this festival.

Agathos Daimon as a God of luck

An ancient depiction of Agathos Daimon or rather a God in his Agathos Daimon form. Asklepius

Agathos Daimon meaning “Good Spirit” can also mean “Good God”. There’s a lot of debate over this. But essentially Agathos Daimon is a spirit guide. But also the name of a God of good luck and prosperity who appears as a giant snake. It’s said he’s the husband of Tyche (Lady Luck).

There are some who claim this is a title for Zeus (who does appear as a giant snake sometimes). We know that Agathos Daimon is the name for a spirit guide. But whether or not there is a God or group of Gods who share that name depends on your view.

Personal Revelations

Now, this is my personal experience. This is not to be taken as “gospel”. This was a personal gnosis granted to me. I do not claim to be all knowing. But I did see him in a vision.

It was in an exhaust trance.

It kind of freaked me out because it looked so real. Imagine having a giant talking snake with semi human-like features in your bedroom. I damn near shit myself. He is not the serpentine form of Zeus. Though he did say Zeus has a similar avatar.

But he did tell me that he was a God of good luck and did confirm Tyche was his wife. He also told me he was the Lord of all Agathos Daimoi. In other words, he’s the God and chief of all spirit guides in Greek culture. This is what he told me. I did notice that after I began giving him cultus, my guides got stronger.

No matter what culture they come from. He does bring good luck. In fact sometimes when I pray to him I see visions of golden coins falling from the skies. And in any working with Tyche, he amplifies her gifts to immense levels. I have contemplated buying an image of a golden serpent for him.

He gives good luck by causing you to “shed” your bad luck. Like a snake shedding skin. Sometimes it’s a painful process. Emotionally, mentally, and spiritually painful. But when he’s done, anything that was holding you back is removed.

And prosperity trickles in.

The Heroes

Besides Agathos Daimon, there are also the ancient heroes. You have probably heard of the term “hero worship”. Well that is because the heroes of the ancient Greeks are like our version of the Saints. In fact, the cult of the Saints was basically ripped off of our hero cults. We honor the Heroes for their intercession in our affairs.

People are used to asking the Gods for favors all of the time. However, the Gods are cosmic beings and are thus busy most of the time. The heroes on the other hand, were human once. And they are members of “The Mighty Dead”. The most powerful of the dead who can grant any boon.

One of the greatest heroes of all time, Atalanta

It should be noted that at least some of these heroes are Demi Gods. Or became Gods after death. So hero worship is sometimes literally worship. So we have the added benefit of God power with hero power. Best of both worlds.

And I can also tell you that they are great to call in battle against dark entities. The heroes understand humanity on a level the Gods don’t. And they’re closer to us because the underworld is beneath the earth itself. In another, more spiritual dimension. Even Gods of the dead aren’t so close because they occupy higher space.

The Ceremony

Some heroes are Deified. So at least some of the Gods worshipped on Agathos Daimon are heroes

First, we give offerings to Hestia. Rather than the libations, I like to use candles this time. Fire is sacred to Hestia anyways. But yesterday I used libations. I wash my hands in the Lustral Waters and I speak the words,

“Hestia, Daughter of the Most High God, Zeus the God of Gods. Hestia of the golden hair from which fiery oil ever drips, ancient keeper of the ways of the Gods, protectress of the family and the house of the family. Keeper of the Hearthe on which our ancestors once cooked their meals, and families gathered round to celebrate and eat meals, while priests and priestesses gathered round it to perform rituals, we ask for your holy intercession on our behalf great lady, O Princess of the Olympioi, grant to us your favor and grace so that we may continue our work and begin the rituals of Agathos Daimon, Yammas,”

I usually wait for a sign from Hestia. A feeling of grace to overcome me, which tells me she’s here. Allowing me to continue on, now spurred by her spirit. Now I bring either wine for libations, or food. Home cooked food.

Whatever you are eating is what you should offer.

I bring part of my dinner to them. I have two shrines for them. One on the outside and one in home. Back when I didn’t have the time, space, or money to give my offerings, I used to leave it outside. I asked Agathos Daimon for a sign of where I should leave the offerings.

The next day my mother told me that she saw a huge snake by this tree on the left hand side of our apartment. I took it as a sign and went there. I felt the power of that tree. A hidden power. I must have walked by that tree a dozen times.

And never had I bothered paying attention to it. Now I looked inside it not with eyes, but with heart. And I felt it’s hidden power. It was damn near invisible. But there.

I guess I wasn’t ready to know about it yet.

And then for the first time I noticed something I never noticed before. The roots of this particular tree looked like giant snakes. I took that as my second sign. I opened myself to my spirits and asked if this was the place and they said yes. From that day forward, it was my shrine to Agathos Daimon and to my personal Daimoi.

Giving offerings

Today I had a simple food. It was just pasta and eggs and bread. But it was all that I had to give. After lighting the candle for Hestia, I ate dinner with my mother. And I separated a portion of the food into a bag. I prayed to the spirits who worship the Gods to charge it with prayers for them.

Then when I finished eating, I blessed it in the name of the Gods. They could eat the psychic energy. I went to the shrine. I prayed to Agathos Daimon and my Daimoi first.

“My Lord, Agathos Daimon, please shed from me all all that is impure. Cleanse my life and that of my loved ones of things we no longer need or want. And bring to us prosperity. As I honor you I also honor my Agathos Daimoi, my good spirits that you have granted me. And those whom are empowered by you even if they come from other lands.

I pray to you my holy Daemons, great spirits granted to me by the Gods for my own blessings and protections. I thank you for all the good things you given me and my family. I thank you for always being my support in the darkest of times. May Agathos Daimon bless you my Agathos Daimoi. Continue to walk with me on the path, Yammas,”

I drop a portion of the food for both him and also my guardians. Next, the heroes. I name a bunch of heroes from Greek religion, and also from other cultures that I look up to. Then I say something like this,

“Holy Ones, great heroes of old, I pray, please support us in our work. Please empower my Daimoi and grant them victory in everything that they do. And grant me victory and focus, please aid me in (give your petition here) please grant me your support. I ask that you intercede with our Gods. And that you also intercede personally for us in all of our affairs. And especially in the petition for which I have dedicated to you. Yammas,”

I dropped the rest of the food there. I went back to my home. And there I made candle and incense offerings for Agathos Daimon, my Daimoi (on my ancestor shrine), and the Heroes. I paid homage to my spirits and when I was finished, I burned a final candle to Hestia. And this time I took a reading from my temple for her.

And with that, the feast of Agathos Daimon is over now. This can be a private holiday. Or you can invite a close circle of friends to honor their own patrons and spirits. Like I said, it’s a mix of the Deipnon along with the actual Noumenia feast. Good night everyone.

– M

The Noumenia : Day 2

The Great Goddess herself, whom this festival is dedicated to. Hail Selene!

So after yesterday’s extensive article on day 1 of the Noumenia or “new moon” festival, we go to day 2. The actual Noumenia. Ironically this is the easiest of the three day festival. There isn’t much to unpack here. The most complicated day is the first day.

I can also tell you that today is the total opposite of Hekate’s Deipnon. Where the Deipnon is isolating to a point, where you stay in doors all night. Where you prepare your shielding and warding like crazy to keep all of the bad spirits out, this is about joy and happiness. It’s a celebration of the new lunar month. Tonight is actually the best night to have a garden party in your home with friends.

To celebrate with the Nymphs. To have good drinks, and to eat good food if you want to. It doesn’t have to be that way either. These are just ideas. This day is one of the most liberating.

And it is a festival after all.

Today at Sunset, on the day of the last quarter of the moon I had bidden farewell to the old month. And I welcomed the new lunar month. So first thing is first, besides Hestia, we’re also working with Apollon Noumenios. Little is known about this version of Apollo. Except that clearly he’s a part of the Noumenia festival.

A depiction of Apollon Noumenios Samantha Sanders

What we do know is that he’s a cleanser of negative energy. In fact we bless the lustral waters in his name. He and Hestia preside over this ritual. This day is dedicated to the Goddess Selene, the Titan Goddess of the Moon. She’s one of the Titans who continued to have a place in the Universe.

Even after Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took over the Universe in their rebellion. I also made slight changes and alterations in how I celebrate this day. And I will also point out what I changed and how I do it. That way you know the difference. Let’s begin.

We’re also working with Zeus Ktesios. If you remember yesterday’s article, this is a household aspect of Zeus. We make a jar that we decorate in his name for Zeus Ktesios as his idols. Here is a picture from another website on what to put inside the jar. Now yesterday we dumped the contents of the jar, today we restock it.

I like to use a special prayer from the top of my head asking Zeus Ktesios to fill the jar with the spirit of prosperity. Good energy. Hope. And General good luck. I visualize a light around me that enters the jar.

And that once I close it, the good energy is sealed with me. It is then put into the pantry to bring prosperity to us all.

Focus

The focus on this day is again, purification. The difference is the Deipnon was a deeper and more chothonic cleansing. But this is a lighter cleansing. And a powerful blessing by means of the moon. It’s a day to clean magical tools.

To bathe in the light of the dying moon. To soak up it’s final blessings. You can also charge talismans during this time. And you can make holy water. Specifically I make Noumenia Water to Apollon using this power.

These prayers I made up for my own rituals. You can either use them, or make up your own. Or even just speak from the top of your head when you do the ritual. Either way, this is something to keep around in case you’re tired and stressed and can’t think properly.

Celebration

The celebration is very easy to do. First you need to cleanse with the lustral waters by washing your hands and asking Apollon Noumenios for purification. We give a libation of water first to Hestia,

“Hestia, daughter of Zeus please intercede on our behalf with the daughter of Hyperion and Theia. Prepare the way for tonight’s festivities, may the home and hearth shine with mirth and love. May the spirits of the household dance and praise the Theoi (Gods) and Theaia (Goddesses),

Yammas,”

Pour a libation of water in her honor. Now, for Apollon Noumenios.

“Hail! Apollon son of Zeus, divine messenger of the Great Father, Lord of Oracles, Master of Wisdom and Magic. Bringer of the Sun’s life giving rays, holy prince of Olympus, we call to you in your function of Priest of the Noumenia. May you intercede in our behalf with the Queen of the Moon herself. Bring to us all the blessings of this new month. Bless us Apollon Noumenios with the power of this new moon,”

Pour a libation of water. Now you can pour water to the Queen herself, Selene.

“Oh Holy One, Precious Daughter of the Titans, illuminator of the night. You bring us light in the darkness just as Apollon and Helios bring forth light in the day. You show us that we needn’t fear the dark. You provide for us and all the creations a lamp by which we can see through the deep shade of the night. Bless us with the power of this fresh new moon. May we be cleansed and purified. May you bless our new month. May we have only the good luck of the moon,”

Pour a libation for her. Now take the final portion of the water and pour a final libation to Hestia.

“Hestia, Queen of the home and the hearth, bringer of fire and comfort. High Priestess of all rituals and festivals. No celebrations can be made unless you are giving offering and worship first. We call to you to now seal this ritual and celebration. Accept this libation, Goddess who is first and last,”

And that’s it, you’re done. Now you can add stuff or change it up. I will give you a few ideas in the following. Including some additions to the liturgy. This is what I do.

Ideas and Additions

Here are some of my personal changes to the ritual.

Liturgy of the Night

Besides Selene, I also worship

Nyx the Goddess of Night and her consort Erebus the God of the Night mist.

Asteria the Titan Goddess of the Stars (Hekate’s Mother)

And last but not least, the Demi God and hero Endymion. The son of Zeus and the Queen of Elis, Calyce. Endymion wasn’t a typical prince. He was a Shepard and working the land, he was also a scientist. Specifically an Astronomer.

In fact, Pliny the Elder actually credited him as the first Astronomer. At least in Greece. If this is true, it also means the lunar-solar calendars came from him. And perhaps star charts were probably based on Endymion’s own sciences as well. Even though he was the son of Zeus, Calyce’s husband King Aethlius, loved the boy as his own.

Though whether he knew about it or not we don’t know. People only figured it out when he was growing up and became almost supernaturally handsome. And this is how he relates to Selene : of all the things in the sky he loved to watch, he loved the moon most of all. And Selene began to watch him and fall in love with him. Her moon beams would caress him at night as he slept.

There are many even today who think it went beyond that. With the Goddess descending upon the Earth in human form to be with him. So Endymion is her mate. So for me, it only makes sense to worship him with her. Also I practice magic and I love science as well.

Endymion had a good heart. He loved his animals. He never once allowed his princely status to make him believe he was any better than anyone. Not even his dogs and farm animals. Is it any wonder that he was able to move a Goddess’ heart to love?

So he’s a personal hero for me. I worship Endymion as the Demi God and Hero of Science and Astrology as well as Astronomy. Obviously I worship her first and foremost. And as per Pliny and other historians, he did in fact exist. People are still try to find Prince Endymion’s tomb to this day.

Though the popular legend states that he never died. Selene loved him so much that she asked Hypnos the God of sleep to keep him asleep eternally. That way she could watch over him. Supposedly his body is hidden in a vault somewhere. Where only Selene can visit him.

Hypnos granted him the ability to sleep with his eyes open so he could gaze on her beauty. Also, him being asleep isn’t stopping him much. Apparently they still have sex. And so far he fathered a whole class of Goddesses with Selene. They’re called the Menae.

Fifty of them in all. And all Moon Goddesses

My Gifts/Offerings

Besides water libations, sometimes I offer up cookies that resemble the full moon. Or any kind of lunar decoration. Or even just gingerbread. I don’t know why I keep feeling like I should use that. Maybe those are my household spirits giving me ideas.

Here’s a good recipe for Moon Cookies.

I also offer up milk or cream to symbolize the moon. And my nature spirits have a sweet tooth so I am guessing that’s part of it. The Gods (at least with me) always share their food with the spirits. I always like to nurture them all. And finally I like to give silver things.

Quarters because they have at least a little silver in them. And they’re nice and round. I offer them to Selene.

That’s how I celebrate the Noumenia Day 2. I hope you all liked it! Have a great rest of your day.

– M

Burnt Offerings : A Dark Cleansing Fire of Scorpio

The Ancient Hebrews performing a sacrifice. Burning a goat or ram (can’t tell from this image) to Adonai. You see Adonai depicted as Zeus at the very top riding the smoke. It’s said the smell of his animal sacrifices when burned attracts him. The fire is how he eats. Burnt offerings are done for a variety of reasons. Including expiation of sins.

For those who don’t know, we had a combination of a New Moon, with a solar eclipse in Scorpio last Sunday. It lasted until Wednesday. Wednesday was when the solar eclipse happened. New Moons naturally belong to the dead and to dark spirits. And so are Solar Eclipses.

The Sun Gods enter their chthonic aspecks as Gods of the dead. This is the perfect time for the removal of negative energy. Or sending it out. I call these dark cleansings because we are working with dark energy to take the bad energy away. Like the Bloodmoon, a Scorpio based Eclipse (and really eclipses in general) force you to face that which you fear the most.

They force you to confront problems and burdens you’ve been holding onto for a long time. They also end a chapter of your life to start another. In my case, I had a very personal journey to make.

Dealing with the Sins of the Past

I got into an argument with someone from my past. And this person reminded me of a time when I wasn’t so spiritual. And in fact I didn’t care who I hurt as long as I got mine. Even people who loved me. And who I should have loved back.

When I was younger, and far more foolish, I was a misogynist. I didn’t think I was a misogynist back then. In fact I thought I was a feminist. What I was, was one of those wanna be “woke” assholes thinking I believed in equality. It wasn’t all fake.

I truly believed I was a feminist. Part of the reason I turned against Christianity was due to the way most churches treat women. Especially my church. I was raised to believe that men are above women by divine right. Or some other horseshit like that.

Because Adam was born before Eve etc.. even though the original Hebrew Bible says that Lilith was created at the same time as Adam. And she was his equal in all respects. I was a womanizer. A compulsive liar. I constantly cheated, and I didn’t fully understand that I was controlling.

I learned this abusive behavior mostly from my dad. But also from the church, and the culture of toxic masculinity that pervades the West. And even when the person I was with was a genuinely good person, I couldn’t be faithful. Sometimes when I cheated I convinced myself that I was “loyal” and that this other person was just a side person. Someone to satisfy me when my regular partner wasn’t around.

I look back on that now and feel disgusted with myself. I wasn’t the best big brother growing up either. I was a teenager and I was so caught up in my own bullshit that I didn’t see that my sister needed me. And my Mother and Paternal grandmother were at odds with me as well. For different reasons.

How could this have ever been me? I’m 36 years old now. Not some young, cocky, asshole. After opening my eyes to several truths, I began to change. To remold myself and cast aside the bad things in my heart and mind. To become a better person.

After becoming a Pagan and a Magician that quest took off to even greater levels. I learned about the Mother Goddesses. I formed an especially close link to Hera, Nemesis, Demeter, and Gaia to name just a few. To Inle and Oshun, and to Chang’e and Kwan Yin. I learned I had a lot of work to do.

And they had no issue kicking my ass from left to right in my mid 20’s to get me to learn. My relationship with my mother and grandmother was better. I made amends with my sister eventually. And I am still changing. Still learning.

But I no longer cheat, no longer lie, no longer think I am some big “woke” feminist ally. I pursue the goal of just being a good and decent person. When I can achieve that, truly achieve it, then maybe I can be called a feminist. Until then I feel that it’s an empty title. The Cuban Exiles tend to be homophobic.

Tend to be womanizers and liars. This isn’t me hating my own culture. I’m just being honest. For years I had decided to turn my back on all religion and spirituality. I went headlong into hedonism.

And I stopped caring about people. Which led to a lot of heart ache both for myself and the girls I dated in my youth. After the nasty experience I had last Saturday, I realized I was deluding myself. I had a reading done by a friend of mine in Utah. And she told me that until I apologize to the women I have hurt, I haven’t made any amends.

Little did I know, that all of this was playing out for a reason. Because Scorpio’s influence on the New Moon and the Solar Eclipse was moving karma around. This has been a burden on my soul for a very long time. And I had kept it deep within myself. I buried this part of my past because I didn’t want to admit I had ever been this ignorant.

I began calling up women from my past and apologizing. I sent more than a dozen emails. I even wrote letters by snail mail. Some didn’t care anymore. Others forgave me.

Some said they don’t know if they can forgive me, but my apologies gave them closure. And others I am still waiting to hear from via the letters. I had begone to make amends. I was ready to begin the dark cleansing with Scorpio.

Priest burning the body of a sacrificed animal to Adonai

I had to draw on my training to figure out how to perform this cleansing. A cleansing that would be strong enough to do this. To channel the power of the Scorpio fueled new moon and solar eclipse. I decided to do a burnt offering. Thing is, I have no intentions of ever hurting an animal.

An artistic representation of the **Pharmakos**

The Pharmakos is the human version of a scapegoat. Humans would be chosen (or sometimes volunteer) to represent all the bad energy in a town or city. And then they would be thrown off a cliff after having weights of some sort attached. I know this is just an over simplification. So I linked an article from Harvard on this practice.

With the death of the Pharmakos, the bad energy was killed as well. In modern times, we use dolls or some other idol to be our Pharmakos in Greek expiation rituals. So I decided to incorporate the burnt offering practice with a Pharmakos.

My spirits reminded me of the power of burning magical papers and petitions to get things done. So I took a piece of Bible paper from my old catechism Bible. I collect Bible paper. It’s an old Bible so the pages started falling apart little by little. I mostly use them as paper talismans.

I drew the Triangle of Solomon on it. Now this is normally used for conjuring, trapping, and controlling a demon. The triangle protects the conjuring sorcerer. And the circle forces the entity inside and binds them. I summoned the sinful and bad parts of my soul into the circle.

And the triangle was keeping me safe so that as it burned, the bad energy couldn’t return or spread to anyone. I didn’t film it or take a picture. The last thing I needed was an image captured of negative energy burning. The paper was only beginning to be blessed by the Hearth in those images. So those images are safe.

I performed a technique in Yoruba religion called Sarayeye. This means you ceremonially use a spiritually charged item like an idol, herbs or flowers, food offering, stones or sticks, etc.. to absorb all the bad energy from your body. You take the chosen object and rub it from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. And you say words of power calling upon all bad things to leave your body. This can be anything, including bad luck and disease.

“May any harm or thing that causes harm, be displaced from my body and soul and bound into this offering,”

– Simple charm taught to me by an Elder in Santeria

In this case I did an hour long prayer. I poured my heart and soul into it. I even started shaking and crying at some point. Broke out into a cold sweat as if I had a fever. I felt nauseous.

The Gods spoke in divination later and told me I had “shed my sinful soul,”. As if I had separated from an evil twin. When the last of my wicked soul had left my body (well, as much as a normal human can shed) my body slowly went back to normal. I finished 10 mins before sunset. And I took the paper and burned it outside on a crossroads.

The smell of Bible paper was sweet. It almost smelled like Palo Santo to me. When the paper burned I felt a strange sort of relief. And the feeling of something that broke in me. And I felt what can only be described as spiritual pus leave my body.

The next day, I felt like shit. I was sore all over my body as if I had lifted a thousand pound truck. The holy fire of the hearth match and the paper’s own inherent holiness channeling the celestial fire. It felt as if the holy flames had burned what was evil inside me. This isn’t a magic bullet that makes my old selfish ways okay.

But it’s a starting point towards the path of redemption I hope. I also prayed to Zeus Meilichios for purification. Confessing my sins before his idol, and allowing him to take as much miasma away as possible. It’s a harder process than I thought. Each time it’s harder to talk to someone I hurt.

I wish the universe could have given me a warning ahead of time.

Karmic Structures and their destruction

After I had performed the ritual, I prayed to the Laughing Buddha. He’s always been a Buddha who has walked with me. A Patron and protector. I asked forgiveness for what I had done years before. And to find a way to be redeemed. I spoke to him out loud about everything.

An then I stopped suddenly. Suddenly I felt this disturbance. Like a rock thrown into water. And I felt him in my heart. Almost like having a conversation but without words.

He told me that my rituals and my attempt at amends weren’t enough. I needed more.

The Journey of Jetsun Milarepa

Milarepa’s Cave where he lived surrounded by his animals and nature.

The story of Milarepa is a really messed up one. It starts like this. He came from a wealthy family. But when his father died, his aunt and uncle who were very greedy, stole all the property. As well as the money and left him and his mother nothing.

So his mother sent him away to learn the black arts.

Not Tibet, this is a depiction of Black Magic in China, but for the purpose of the story I thought I would use it. From this article

When he returned as a powerful dark magus, his aunt and uncle were throwing a party. Their son was about to get married. And many people had come to attend to feast. He used his power to summon a giant Scorpion monster to raise the house. And 35 people died.

The aunt and uncle lived however. When the villagers came to kill him, he summoned a hailstorm that destroyed their crops. Which forced them all to back down. After years of wandering the land as a black magician, his heart grew heavy. He began to hate himself.

And to regret his past sins. He decided to learn new ways. And he found a Lama or “chief”. This is the Buddhist version of a Guru in Hinduism. It’s a teacher of the Dharma.

His Master would be Marpa the Translator. One of the greatest Buddhist masters of all time. Marpa was a hard Master to serve. The guy made him go through hell in order to prove himself worthy. I’ll spare you the long history lesson.

But he ordered Milarepa to build three towers and then destroy them. He later told Milarepa the reason for this. Each tower represented all of the bad karma and suffering he sent out into the world. The task had to be difficult because it was a sort of penance. Each time a tower was constructed, it was instantly imbued with all the bad spiritual energy.

And when it was destroyed, the karma was destroyed. That’s what the laughing Buddha told me to do. I have to create a karmic structure to destroy. In penance for my old ways. It was revealed to me by him what I had to do.

And how many times I had to do it. That part of my ceremony I won’t talk about. It’s just for me to know. I started on that already. And hopefully I can continue to make amends.

What I can say however is that it’s not a large structure. And it isn’t as many times as Milarepa. While my past self may not have been too enlightened, I never summoned a giant scorpion to kill people. Here’s hoping I can continue my path towards making amends.

Triple Goddess in the Land by Eline Kieft

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Hallowed Tales : The Story of Gabriel Littlepage of Roan County

A rendering of Gabriel Littlepage based on descriptions. From American Mythology on YouTube

This is a new series I have created for the blog called Hallowed Tales. Which is for Hallowsmastide or the Catholic Halloween. Today we’re going to be looking at a historical mystery. At a local folk legend named Gabriel Littlepage of Roan County, West Virginia. I’m very sorry that we don’t know more about the man.

He’s fascinating to say the least. There’s not much I could say that isn’t already covered in this video. So sit back, relax. And turn the lights off. Maybe light a candle in the dark. And watch with delight.

And say a little prayer for old Gabe.

“And Qayn said to Adonai, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bare,’ ” – Genesis 4:13

Reports of a strange, Wolf like animal around that area. A phantom canine similar to the Wolf or wolf dog Gabe had, is still being reported roaming that area. And since this is Hekate’s Deipnon (Feast of Hekate) in which all dark souls to go the Crossroads to feed, I thought maybe Gabriel’s story would be an excellent addition. Pray for Gabriel and his Wolf Dog.

Have a good night 🎃

– M