Book of Witchery (29 page)

Call on these fertile and romantic powers, and create your own unique spells and charms. Just think of all the magickal information that you can now add to your repertoire of witchery. Lastly, remember this: when you combine imagination and a loving heart with magick, you'll succeed every time.

[contents]

Saturday

At-a-Glance Correspondences

Daily Magickal Applications

Saturday, our final featured day of the week, gets its name from the Latin
Dies Saturni
, or “Saturn's day.” In Old English, it was
Saeturnesdaeg
. The Middle English version was
Saterday
. Saturn, a Roman god of agriculture, was believed to have ruled the earth during an age of contentment and virtue. Saturn was a god who symbolized the passage of time and karma. He was not a harsh, judgmental god, either; he was a sower and a harvester. Interestingly enough, there is no Norse god associated with this day. It has remained under the province of Saturn. But if you think about what Saturn stood for, it does make a lot of sense.

Saturdays are traditionally days to work on protection, remove obstacles, bind troublesome or dangerous individuals, and banish negativity. Saturdays are like a magickal “let's clean house” day. Any magickal messes left lying around that need to be addressed, or any problems that need to be cleared up, are best dealt with on the day devoted to Saturn.

Deities

Saturn

An ancient Roman god also known as Father Time, Saturn was called the ruler of the Golden Age and the Father of the Gods. Saturn was considered the “great lesson giver,” as he required people to learn their lessons through karma. Saturn was also a god of agriculture and fertility, and he was married to a fertility goddess named Ops.

There is a Roman festival named after him called the Saturnalia, which began on December 17 and ran until December 23. What was Saturnalia like? It was probably very similar to the rowdy and fun Mardi Gras celebrations of today. This seven-day midwinter festival was a time of gift-giving, feasts, and partying. Traditional gifts on Saturnalia were candles, clay figurines of the gods, and silver. Decorations included wreaths and fresh garlands hung above the doorways. With an “eat, drink, and make merry” type of attitude in place, the wine flowed freely, and the slaves were given the holiday off. Schools closed, and the military was given leave.

The god Saturn was described as a man with a half-bared chest, holding a sickle and a few ears of corn. This image of Saturn eventually evolved into our Father Time, a popular image at New Year's Eve. The sickle became the scythe, and the hourglass symbolized the passing of time and Saturn's control over it. Saturn is not a frightening god—he is a teacher, a spiritual influence that grants tranquility and calmness in your later years. Saturn is the guardian of time.

Hecate

Hecate was the daughter of Perses and one of the original Titans. Even after Zeus defeated the Titans, he kept Hecate in power to assist the mortals. Zeus honored Hecate greatly by granting her a share of power over the earth, the sky, and the sea.

Mortals who were favored by Hecate received great blessings, as she could increase the size of their herds or help the fishermen who prayed to her haul in huge catches of fish. Originally considered a generous and compassionate ancient fertility goddess, in later myths Hecate became associated with a darker and more frightening magick. She developed into the patron of sorcerers and became associated with the underworld, dark mysteries, crossroads, and graveyards. Hecate became known as the queen of the Witches and the guardian of the crossroads.

Hecate was frequently pictured as triple-faced deity. There are a few variations on her name as well—Hecate Trivia or Hekate. She is often part of another trio of Greco-Roman goddesses: Persephone the Maiden, Demeter the Mother, and Hecate as the Crone.

Hecate was thought to be all-seeing and wise. When Demeter searched everywhere for her daughter Persephone, who had been snatched by Hades into the underworld to be his bride, it was Hecate who finally told Demeter where she was.

Today, Hecate is a powerful and protective deity for Witches. If you feel the need to defend yourself, your property, or your family, Hecate is the one to call on. Associations for Hecate include three-way crossroads, black dogs, snakes, owls, ravens and crows, bats, and toads, who are a symbol of conception.

For herbal and plant correspondences, try the blooming cyclamen, dandelion, lavender, mugwort, mint, and poppy. Trees that are associated with Hecate and her magick are the yew, cypress, hazel, and willow. Festivals for Hecate include August 13 and November 16, called the “The Night of Hecate” in Greece, which began at sundown. Finally, there is Hecate's Day in Rome, celebrated on December 31.

Saturday's Witchery

Saturday is a day filled with opportunities to clean up and clear out. So if you are wondering why I assigned Hecate to Saturday, take another look at what she symbolizes and the magick that is associated with her. That should answer your question.

Hecate was the oldest form of the Greek Triple Goddess, as she presided over heaven, the underworld, and earth. Crossroads where three roads met were especially sacred to Hecate, earning her the title of Hekate of the Three Ways. It's interesting to note that even after the worship of other goddesses waned, ancient people still worshiped Hecate as the queen of the underworld and the guardian of the three-way crossroad. It was also believed that if you left her an offering of food there, she would grant you her favors. As Hecate Trivia, her triple images were often displayed at these crossroads, where she was petitioned on the full moon for positive magick and on the dark of the moon for cursing and dark magick.

While this last bit of information sounds a little ominous, keep in mind that Hecate/Hekate was known by many titles and is a shapeshifter. Her appearance could and did change often. As a dark moon goddess, her faces are many. To some she may appear as a old crone, hunched over a smoking cauldron and draped in a midnight cape. To others she may appear as a dark, beautiful, mysterious, and mature woman wearing a shimmering crown. To some she may be perceived as a maiden priestess. She was called the “most lovely one,” the Great Goddess of Nature, and the Queen of the World of Spirits. This dark goddess knows her way around the earth and the underworld. All the powers of nature, life, and death are at her command.

The following meditation is a favorite of mine. I felt Hecate guide me along when I penned this for her. I originally wrote a shorter version of this for an almanac article many years ago. It comes straight from my own personal Book of Shadows and is what I like to call an oldie but goodie. Enjoy the meditation, and have a good journey.

Meditation

To begin this guided meditation, picture yourself walking safely along a dark, graveled path on a quiet, clear autumn night. It is late, and as you look to the east, you see a waning moon rising slowly over the tree line. The sounds of the night are quiet and calm, and you can hear the crickets singing off in the distance while the mournful hoot of an owl drifts to you. You walk confidently forward, enjoying your solitude and the companionable sound of the crunch of gravel beneath your feet. Your breath makes little puffs of white steam in the chill evening air.

Up ahead, you can see a flickering light. It is a torch mounted to the post marking the crossroads, and as you make your way closer, you can make out small offerings of food left neatly at the base of the signpost. Others have been here to honor Hecate before you. There is a small basket of apples, a plaque depicting the triple Hecate, and a few loaves of bread. Someone has left what appears to be a small jar of honey. Your hands tighten on the small wrapped bundle of homemade bread that you carry. It may be a humble offering, but sometimes simple is best. As you approach the crossroads, a breeze picks up, and a swirl of autumn leaves rushes through the crossroads. You stop for a moment to take in the captivating scene and approach the torchlit area as quietly as possible and with a calm reverence.

You prepare to leave your gift and offer up a quiet prayer to Hecate. While you are very aware of your surroundings and perfectly comfortable alone this night, there is something in the air that makes you stay on guard. You turn your head this way and that, trying to account for the sense that something is happening. Suddenly, the sound of howling dogs shatters the peaceful evening. The breeze that sent leaves playfully dancing has now whipped up into a much stronger force. A rush of dramatically colder air swirls past you, accompanied by a whirlwind of rustling leaves. Birds awaken and begin singing in the middle of the night; it is a beautiful but eerie song. As you push your hair out of your stinging eyes and look around you, a rumbling noise is growing in its intensity. You feel the earth tremble beneath your feet, and you instinctively make a grab for the signpost as you try to keep yourself upright.

As quickly as it began, the maelstrom fades, and the night falls to silence once more. Shaken, you right yourself and realize that you have dropped your offering. Concerned, you hunker down to pick up the little cloth-wrapped bundle and carefully brush a few dead leaves from the wrapping. As you look around, you realize that the other offerings once arranged so neatly are now in disarray. Without a thought, you immediately begin to straighten them back out. You lean the plaque against the signpost and return the apples quickly to their basket. A trio of old-fashioned keys catches your eye. Intrigued, you pick them up and admire their shapes and textures. Carefully, you place the keys on top of the little jar of honey. Pleased with the results, you look around for any missed items and prepare to rise to your feet.