Creating a Hekateion Part 5

Three years ago I started to create a modern Hekateion, you can see the different stages of this project in these articles: creating a Hekateion part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

Some weeks after I started this project my life began to change a lot and this change continued until this year (divorce can turn the life really upside down) and the process to finish my Hekateion came to rest through all the change in my life. But the statues were used in my private rituals with and for Hekate and in the group rituals of the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia. After the rite of her sacred fires in Mai 2017 a rush of creativity began to flow through me again and I began to continue to work on the Hekateion and two weeks ago I finished the project.

The statues are now housed in the temple room in my new home and they are completely coloured (the statues of Deities were usually painted and not white as many imagine it today), they are filled with special herbs, stones, snake skin, dog hair, gemstones, sacred objects and oil lamps burn on the round altar when the Hekateion is in use. The statues are coloured in Hekates sacred colours (black, red and white), serpents coil around the shoulders of her, I changed the bowl into a torch (and it is possible to remove the clay flames and burn tea lights or ethanol fires in the bowl that is now the top of the torch), sacred tools of Hekate are on the altar (like the whip, knives, pomegranates, Oinochoe and magical tools as well that i use in my hekatean witchcraft and magic, a statue of Anubis in dog/jackal form is on the altar (for her connection to dogs and the underworld), bowls with incense, water and seeds are around the statues to symbolise her influence over earth, sea and sky, three skulls are on the altar as well, these are filled with dirt from graves and of course offerings are arranged on the altar as well. The pole is coloured in dark violet and is sprinkled with gold colour, to symbolise the night sky and the Axis Mundi and on top of the pole is the statue that I used as sanctuary image, when I opened the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia several years ago.

The Hekateion is in the centre of my temple room, where i store my herbs, incense, tinctures, oils and the tools for herbal magic and in this room i work most of my magic (when i work indoors) and my devotional rites for Hekate and in the meetings of the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia the Hekateion is the focal point of the rituals and devotees can spend time near the Hekateion on their own as well to meditate or dwell in her presence.

 

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Creating a Hekateion Part 4

I was quite silent about the progress of my Hekateion, but it evolved throughout the year.

The first statue is almost finished with the colouration. The other two statues are still in the colouration process. But the statues were already the focus point of several group rituals and worked very well as ensouled statues of Hekate.

Creating a Hekateion 2

I have blessed and cleansed the first statue with the power of the three realms, incense (sky), sacred water (sea) and a mixture of herbs (earth). And asked Hekate to bless the statue with her divine fire.

I started to colour the statue and already got the central pillar. First I had in mind to buy a Greek column, but these are quite expensive in the size that I need for the statues. So I decided to use a wood pole and my husband connected it with the table that will be used as the altar, on which the Hekateion will stand soon.

I have created herbal bags that are filled with herbs that are connected to Hekate and with other symbolic objects. I will put these bags into the statues as heart. The statues will be filled with this bag and other items to strengthen the connection to Hekate and they will help to ensoul the statues, or to animate it- how it was called in ancient Theurgy.

I blessed and empowered the bags on my sanctuary shrine and petitioned Hekate to fill these bags with her love, protection and power, that they will strengthen the connection to her, that she sends daimons and spirits to fill these bags as mediators and to animate the bags (and than the statues soon). I have used a recipe from late antiquity as basis. Rue, bay leaves, gum (which was gum arabicum I think, but I used the good smelling ambra gum instead), myrrh, olibanum and in the original recipe the crushed tails of lizards that live near houses. I used snake skin instead. And I added other herbs that are connected to Hekate too and hair of a bag dog, beeswax (because of her connection to honey) and amethysts (I personal connect these with Hekate, I don’t know ancient references for this). The bags will be put into the statues when they are finished.

I cleansed and blessed the altar table and the pole with incense, sacred water and herbs, I gave an offering of honey to the nymph of the tree that was used to create the pole and asked her to be welcome, to get a share in the offerings that will be given in future to Hekate and to aid me and other devotees in our worship of Hekate. After I have done this I noticed that I never did the same for the nymphs of other wood materials that I used so far as shrines or altars- so I invited the nymph(s) of the trees who were used to build the tables that I use as altar. And did the same for her (or them). And played the drum for the nymphs and the other spirits who surrounded me in my rite.

Now I wait until the other statues arrive, tomorrow I will speak with the artist who will help me in my project and I look forward to carry on my work.

Creating a Hekateion- a devotional project, donations are welcome

In antiquity Hekate Hekate was often depicted as Hekateion.

Three beautiful maidens depicted around a central pillar.

These figures were quite popular and the Hekateia had several symbols in the hands of the Goddess. Torches, Oinochoe (libation pitcher), Phiale (libation bowl), fruit and dogs to the feet of the Goddess. In roman time keys, serpents, crescent moon, dagger and whip were added as well.

I organise open rituals for Hekate since some years and opened a COH Sanctuary this year in which open group rituals in honour of Hekate are celebrated.

During trance work and meditations I often felt that Hekate wants a statue where she is depicted with Oinochoe and Phiale, for the sanctuary rituals.

But so far the modern statues that are sold don’t depict her with these ancient symbols.

Today I was able to get a very beautiful roman statue that wears an Oinochoe and a Phiale

(I think the statue depicts a nymph).

The statue is quite large (over one meter) and today i was meditating about how to colour this statue as a representation of Hekate.

During this meditation it got quite clear that she wants a Hekateion. So I will buy two of these statues again (so that I have three identical statues) and a fitting Greek Polos (pillar). And will create a Hekateion for the sanctuary room, Thie Hekateion will be used in the group rituals, when it is finished.

The statues will be hand painted by an quite talented local artist and other elements will be added to the Hekateion, for example jewellery, burning torches (oil lamps in torch form),

serpents, dog statues to the feet of the Goddess.

And the statue will be ensouled in a ritual.

At the moment I still need around 300 Euro- for the project and will begin to save money for it.

In antiquity statues, shrines and temples were often erected through donations.

Donations are very welcome for this project. And can be given via paybal with my e-mailadress:

florian-schlie@gmx.net