Over 25,000 years ago, our ancestors across the continent practiced an ancient form of religion known as paganism. During the Neolithic and Paleolithic time era, our ancestors were in awe of the great manifestations of nature. Due to lack of scientific thought, they were riddled with ignorance and superstition. Everything had a supernatural explanation. They associated each naturalistic phenomena with a type of god, inscribing inanimate objects with life -like characteristics . This practice is referred to as animism. Every element ,be it thunder ,rain or he sun ,was thought to be a god (or goddess) within it.
Eventually their gods became an object of worship known as polytheism. Eventually many forms of polytheism evolved to what is known as paganism. Modern Paganism Now defined as :The worship of a god or goddess whose roots are in pre-Christian Western Europe. Modern paganism is alive and well today. It consists of many sub-divisions . These include Wicca ,druidism Santeria and many others. Wicca focuses on the worship of a god and goddess . In Wicca ,there is a plethora of pantheon of deities that one an choose from including: Greek, Norse ,roman etc……
Focusing on a Greek Wiccan tradition ,this will be describing the pagan festival of Hectare. The Festival of Hecate The festival of Hecate is celebrated between the 3rd and 4th Saturday of August. (which ever is closest to the new moon) It is in honor of the Greek goddess Hecate. She was first worshipped in ancient Greece -called the triple goddess of magic. She is often represented in triple form ; maiden (youth) ,mother (fertility) and crone (the wise woman). In ancient Rome ,she was known as trevia ,the cross road with three paths.
Hecate is symbolized by the phases of the moon. Each attribute correlates with a particular phase of the moon. The waxing moon (maiden),the full moon (mother) and the new moon( crone). The Ceremony Upon arrival at the festival in Georgetown Delaware, everyone gathers for the lecture. This is to educate the newcomers as to what the ceremony entails. The ceremony is always rehearsed before it is performed. After the lecture ,there is a large potluck feast to keep everyone energized for the evenings festivities. The processional When the sun sets, the processional begins.
With everyone in their appropriate magical attire,(consisting of a robe and jewelry) everyone lines up proceeds with the first phase. This is called consecration- each person is consecrated . This is done by covering the body in incense smoke and sprinkling of water. This is a purification process that cleanses the body of negative energy prior to the ritual. Next each person is permitted to enter the circle one by one. Once everyone is inside the circle, the next phase begins. Calling of the quarters At this point ,the high priest/priestess begins the calling f the quarters or summoning the elements.
Each direction is marked by an altar and each is represented by an element. West =air, east=water , north=earth and south=fire. The high priest approaches each point ,says a chant and ends the chant with the phrase hail and welcome. After the elements are called , the highpoint of the ritual begins the invocation The Invocation The invocation is where the goddess is invited to attend the ceremony. The invitation is done through a series of chants . Ex: He Kau ,He Kau , He Kau Hecate trevia trimorphos
Hecate queen of the moon and all her phases 3 Xs (Hek a ta) Next 3 women are chosen to represent Hecate ,each representing one of her aspects. (they are chosen prior to the ritual) The maiden is in white (purity) the mother in red (fertility) and crone in black(wisdom) These women remain in the circle. At this point the goddess speaks to the participants . Each one gives a brief message ,usually a blessing or advice. Once the crone has finished, each participant is invited to approach any of the three forms and speak to them. They may ask for advice ,offering or a boon.
Once everyone has had their turn to speak with Hecate,the group becomes silent. The goddess is thanked and dismissed. Sometimes during a ritual a participant may feel a bit overwhelmed with the energy that has been raised. It is for this reason ,that the next phase ,called grounding takes place. This is done by simply placing the hands on the ground and releasing the energy. Once the grounding has been performed,it is time to close the quarters or dismiss the elements. Like the opening , the high priest approaches each element ,says a chant but this time ends with hail and farewell
Once the elements are dismissed, it is time to close the circle. This is done by the whole group. Closing the Circle A special chant is recited to close the circle : The circle is closed but yet unbroken, Merry meet, merry part ,and merry meet again. Blessed Be ! At this time ,each participant leaves the circle exiting from the point at which they entered. Again feasting of food commences ,along with spirited conversation. Religious ceremonies play an integral role in our society. Paganism fills the social ,physical and cognitive role that mainstream religions provide.
