Samhain Blessings, Friends!

As I type these words, a winter storm advisory has just been issued by the National Weather Service and my little corner of far northeast Illinois is getting coated in snow. Given that the ancient Celts recognized November Eve as the start of Winter, I don’t mind the presence of snow one bit. Once I publish this post, as the last light of the afternoon dies, I’ll head out into my woods out back, strike the earth with my blackthorn staff, and welcome the Cailleach. This is Her time.

Lorica Prayer to Sekhmet

One of my closest friends and trusted spiritual confidantes and I recently formed a book group to discuss Morpheus Ravenna’s excellent new book of extreme relevance to Polytheists and spirit workers, The Magic of the Otherworld: Modern Sorcery from the Wellspring of Celtic Traditions (Llewellyn, 2023). In chapter 2, which delves into apotropaic magic, Morpheus provides examples of lorica prayers, a form of “poetic spiritual armor” (p.50) that makes use of verbalized incantation to invoke Divine aid; the specificity of protection even catalogs parts of the petitioner’s body. Much of the extant literary texts of these prayers from Celtic countries dating from the Middle Ages onward (most notably, the Carmina Gadelica) are Christian in theme, but it’s certainly possible to adapt the structure of these prayers to any Deity or spirit, including your own ancestors.

As a fun “homework” assignment, I tasked the group with composing their own lorica prayers to be shared at our next meeting. That meeting was held earlier today and I want to share the first of my lorica prayers; it is in honor of the mighty Kemetic Goddess, Sekhmet, One of my Patron Deities.

Imbolc 2023: A Praise Poem for the Goddess Brigid

If there’s one contemporary Pagan group that does online/Zoom rituals well, it’s Chicago’s own Wild Onion Grove of the ADF, an international Druid group. A lovely Imbolc ritual / devotional to the Celtic Goddess of Smithcraft, Poetry, and Healing—the Goddesss Brigid—just concluded a short while ago this afternoon. An hour prior to the 2 p.m. CST start time, the Lady of Awen came a-knockin’ on my noggin, and the following praise poem spilled out of me—longhand—and onto the pages of my legal writing pad.

I delivered the poem during the ritual as my chief offering to Her. Here it is:

Án Mórrígan: My Praise Poem/Ritual Invocation to the Great Irish Goddess of War and Prophecy, Samhain 2022

This is the most spiritually significant time of the year for me, Samhaintide. For many weeks I’ve been pondering the overlap in calendrical calculations of seasonal shifts as well as cultural customs between the ancient Celts and the Slavs. Any Celtic linguist as well as any modern Witch will tell you that the Gaelic Samhain denotes “Summer’s End,” and the time to honor the dead and prepare for the trying season of Winter occurs in early November.

“Proud to be a Virgo”: A Poem

“Alchemical Auras”

Happy Friday! We’re in the final week of National Poetry Month, and I wanted to share this little ditty I just wrote as I gear up for a tedious morning of client legal reviews (Zoom fatigue, anyone?) of my latest ad campaign. Here’s my poem; enjoy!

Hymn to Hekate

“Hymn to Hekate”

(c) A. Applegate 2017

 

We give greetings to fair Hekate,

Mighty monogenes--sole child of starry Asteria and the Son of Eurybia.

Titaness of the Threefold Realm of Earth, Sea, and Sky,

Revered above all the Ancient Powers by Olympos-dwelling Zeus Himself.

With pleasing eyes, accept our sacrifice

Hekate Khthonia,

Mistress of the Underworld surrounded by swarms of spirits,

And open the ways to the dreaded realm of Thy majesty,

O Brimo,

That we may claim our rightful power in service to Thee.

 

With pleasing eyes, accept our sacrifice

Hekate Krataiis,

Strong One of the Wine-Dark Sea,

Who birthed death-dealing Skylla,

And open the ways beneath the waves,

O She-Wolf, O Sea Wolf,

That we may draw into the depths of our being

Unending praise of Thee.

 

With pleasing eyes, accept our sacrifice

Hekate Soteira,

Queen of Angels, Savior of the World-Soul,

And open our ears to receive Thy counsel in the Music of the Spheres.

Hidden Hekate, fair of face,

Mighty Hekate, Lady of Power,

Lead us through the crossroads at the behest of Thy grace,

In our magical endeavors,

Help our workings to flower.

In heartfelt devotion,

We kneel before Thee,

Goddess Incomparable!

Io, Hekate!

My Hekate altar is the heart of my temple space. Photo (c) A. Applegate 2017.

Hymn to Hermes

“Hymn to Hermes”

(c) A. Applegate 2017

 

We give greetings to Hermes,

Clever Son of Zeus and Maia,

Wanderer of all the worlds

God of great cunning

Who, on His very first day of drawing breath,

Proved Himself a maker of music and mischief,

Strummer of the lyre,

Thief of the cattle of Apollon

The One Who achieves fame amongst the Gods by His deeds

The Prowler by night Who lurks in the street before the gates.

 

We hail holy Hermes

Who wards all wayfarers

Whether travelers for pleasure or commercial pursuits,

or those seized by thanatos

Who wend their way into dark caverns to be seated as guests

in Hades’ great, gilded halls

 

We hail Hermes Psychopompos,

His most sacred charge

Serve as our unerring Guide, our Companion, O Khthonios,

May Your lamps reveal the Mysteries

Glory gleaned in gloomy depths

To those ready to receive the Light of Your Wisdom

 

Hermes of Arkadia’s dawn

Hermes by Persephone’s shade

Be here with us as our magic is made!

 

Io, Hermes!

A Friday Invocation to Freyja

Note: A former coven mate of mine shared this with me–hence the British spelling and the Gardnerian references to scourging and the like. I cannot speak to this work’s true origins. 

“Tremors”

Published in the just-released Autumn issue of Isis-Seshat, whose theme is “Dark Nights of the Soul,” this poem of mine is also something I wanted to share here on my blog.

“Tremors”

 

I disassociated all the way home

 

Can’t stop shaking