The Act of Seeking

[Sirius]

A tribute to knowledge gained and lost, a tribute to DI and gratitude for the past year and blessings for the year to come. 
=======================

The Act of Seeking: Part 1



A new moon approaches a new year and after many crossroads another one looms before you now. Child of Perses and Asteria, goddess of magic, guardian of thresholds, and mistress of the unseen, Hecate reaches out to you offering guiding a totem.

This invocation requires ingredients and make sure your cause resonates with Hecate's nature.  One such cause is is personal transformation.

Success of the spell will result in dreams or visions, signs in nature (synchronicities) or challenges. All involving crossroads reflecting her nature. Sudden insight pointing toward your guiding totem might also occur.

First a general overview of ingredients that may be required. Use what is available locally. What is important is intent and your ritual must include items that resonates with Hecate's nature.

General:

• Salt
  
• Dried herbs (e.g., rosemary, mugwort)
  

Altar: Chalk, rocks or whatever else you will use in drawing/building.

• Three black candles (one for Hecate, one for ancestors, one for personal intentions)
  
• Four candles for the cardinal points.
  • yellow or white candle to represent Air.
    
  • red or orange candle to represent Fire.
    
  • blue or silver candle to represent Water.
    
  • green or brown candle to represent Earth.
    
• Symbols of Hecate (serpents, keys, torches)
  

Offerings: I recommend at least three, the garlic is useful for protection. Bread and wine you can drink as grounding.

• Garlic (whole cloves)
  
• Honey
  
• Bread
  
• Wine
  
• Eggs
  

Elements: 

• Earth: Stones, soil, or plants
  
• Air: Feathers or incense
  
• Fire: A lit candle
  
• Water: Chalice or bowl of water
  

Divination Tools: only if you choose this path, you can also empower an item.

• Tarot cards
  
• Small tokens (e.g., animal figurines, symbolic objects)
  
• Small stones for painting or charms
  

[Sirius]

The Act of Seeking: Part 2 of 4

Timing and location
The new moon or new year at a physical or symbolic crossroad. The reward matches the effort and you can create a crossroad in your ritual space while building the altar.  



Choosing a Totem or Symbol
Throughout you must state intentions and have a clear vision of outcome, that outcome being a guide to illuminate your path. In divination you will place tarot cards, runes or other symbolic objects on the altar and draw one to reveal a guide. You could also select your own and seal energy within it during the ritual by placing the item on the altar. Regardless of the path chosen you will need a totem.




The Altar
The centerpiece of the altar as a black candle representing Hecate’s guiding light.  You can decorate it in any way you like, it must includes symbols and offerings to Hecate that you prepared. The offerings will be used as part of grounding and sealing energy.  Only the placement of the 7 candles is important and that you are within a circle. 

You need a large enough space to work with your totems, tarot cards may require more room than just a gemstone or other totem.




Casting a Circle
Hecate is a liminal goddess and other entities may cross the veil. It is important to cast a protective circle. Walk the perimeter of the ritual space clockwise while sprinkling salt, dried herbs (like rosemary or mugwort), or water. 

Place keys at the edges of the circle or on the altar, symbolizing Hecate’s guardianship over boundaries. You can place a clove of garlic at an entrance or on an altar.  Candles will represent her protective light.

Here is basic design of the circle, place the black candles on the red markers with the one representing Hecate in the middle. The green markers is where the elemental candles go.


Visualize a sphere of light forming around the space as you say (name what you used) and use incense at this step as part of banishing:

By fire and smoke, all harm departs.
By Hecate’s light, all shadows dissolve.
This space is pure, this space is whole.

This circle is cast, a sacred dome.
No harm may enter, no ill remain.
Only light and truth sustain.

[Sirius]

The Act of Seeking: Part 3 of 4

Invocation.



As she is the guide, the invocation starts with her.

Welcome Hecate as the keeper of mysteries, the guide, and the guardian of the threshold into the circle.  Light the central candle and place a symbol associated with her such as keys or a crescent moon. Repeat with the other two black candles representing ancestors and personal intentions.

Prepare your totem, place it on the altar.  Prepare yourself, you will be commanding the elements in her name to empower or reveal the guide.  If your not doing divination, the guide will appear in due time.

Calling the Elements



Move clockwise around the circle, address each direction lighting the candle. Adapt the chant based on your intentions and weather or not your are divining. e.g.  you may swap out "reveal" for "empower".

Air (East):
Hold the feather or light the incense. Say:
"In the name of Hecate, Keeper of Mysteries,
I call upon the East, the power of Air.
Bring wisdom and clarity as the breath of her will.
Join this circle, to reveal the totem’s message."

Fire (South):
Light the candle (if not already lit) or focus on its flame. Say:
"In the name of Hecate, Guardian of Transformation,
I summon the South, the power of Fire.
Ignite our passion as we follow her light.
Join this circle, to reveal the totem’s message."

Water (West):
Touch the water in the chalice or bowl, and raise it slightly. Say:
"In the name of Hecate, Lady of Intuition,
I invoke the West, the power of Water.
Let her wisdom flow into our spirits.
Join this circle, to reveal the totem’s message."

Earth (North):
Hold or touch the soil, crystals, or plant. Say:
"In the name of Hecate, Guardian of the Threshold,
I call upon the North, the power of Earth.
Root us deeply in her wisdom and strength.
Join this circle, to reveal the totem’s message."

[quintessentone]

Yes, thank you DI for being a safe haven and thank you Sirius for the reminder that seeking also requires stopping for time to reflect, for me any way.

[Sirius]

Yes, thank you DI for being a safe haven and thank you Sirius for the reminder that seeking also requires stopping for time to reflect, for me any way.

Thank you!  I'll put up the last bit in an hour or so.  It's just basic grounding and releasing the circle, setting things back to how it was and closing the deal.

So freaking drained  

[quintessentone]

Thank you!  I'll put up the last bit in an hour or so.  It's just basic grounding and releasing the circle, setting things back to how it was and closing the deal.

So freaking drained  

I know part 4 or 4 was coming soon, did I jump the gun and you were just about to post what I posted? lol

I too have been drained throughout Christmas time, but today I am feeling somewhat recharged just by reflecting on all the good times and good vibes  I had with my family and friends.

[Sirius]

The Act of Seeking: Part 4 of 4

Anchoring the Connection
Affirm the bond  "I welcome [guide/totem] into my journey. Walk beside me, teach me, and guide me."
Eat the bread and drink the wine. If none of the offerings was editable you can bury them at a crossroad.

Expression of Gratitude
Address Hecate and the elements one last time:
"Hecate, Guardian of the Crossroads,
And spirits of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth,
I thank you for your presence and guidance.
As the New Year begins, may your blessings follow me."

It's important to be grounded, you can practice deep breathing during this phase. You should have something representing earth in the ritual that you can focus on. Release the energies back to natural order.

Release the elements in reverse order (counter-clockwise), thanking each one as they depart by extinguishing the candles.

Extinguish the remaining candles representing you and ancestors. Thank Hecate one last time before extinguishing the remaining central candle. "We honor your light in the darkness. Guide us now and always."

[Sirius]

I know part 4 or 4 was coming soon, did I jump the gun and you were just about to post what I posted? lol

Part of the fun of a forum. 
Btw, your net getting away with the crystal unscathed. It's sealed. Very sneaky.

[Sirius]

Some unexpected things happened after making this. The actual ritual I won't do, did something similar in my teens and it scared the shit out of me. What I did do was a allot of research going into it, but clearly not enough to know about the after effects.

Now I see crows everyday all over, never noticed how common they are. Even random youtube videos and tv shows.

Lot's of keys, in-fact the most keys I have ever seen in my life at once. The very next day a guy pulled up to me in a parking lot with a bunch of keys the size of two basketballs hanging in his truck.  It was a gardener, he must pick up loads and then keep them.

Can't go to deep into this for obvious reasons, but vivid happy dreams for the first 3-4 nights. Once I woke up and it took a minute or two for it to stop, it was very confusing. Initially I thought it was my partner and went with it until she moved and realized she is on the other side of the bed. Everything went back to normal then.

[quintessentone]

Part of the fun of a forum. 
Btw, your net getting away with the crystal unscathed. It's sealed. Very sneaky.

Sealed? I've never felt it was a sealed bubble. When I use mine it feels as if energy is flowing through it then through me and since I am grounded, it is reasonable to assume that it flows back into and out from the Earth. Or do we become not grounded to the Earth from not going barefoot outside and then build up positive ions which may create the bubble?