#oikos life

[misscammiedawn]

I had a few failed attempts at recording my card video. This blooper however was an absolute delight.

Smiles and love to all the Timbit fans out on Tumblr.

Also I have no idea why my microphone was doing that reverb thing. A shame. It could be useful for hypnotic audio.

[muuchildren]

Before I got a refrigerator❄️🥶

手袋かわいいでしょ。

gloves: #muuchknitting

[reno-matago]

First celebration of Athena yesterday (october 22, 28th saturday). I am almost everyday in front of my altar, & compel myself to always honor Hestia whatever my level of fatigue : lighting her candle, a libation of wine, as we always start with Hestia...

To sum up, my practice of polytheism is strenghtening and enchanting me. I feel a new connection to my home, the gods. And with all of that, I have little focus for witchcraft practices, but it will come back. Everything in it's time.

Steps are finally taking shape...🍁

[medicatedisolation]

I guess being nonbinary is receiving both the “female audience” Dannon Light & Fit Remix commercial and the “male audience” Oikos Remix (w/ 11g protein) commercial.

[thequeer07puss]

About Zeus and Hera’s shared epithets

The Divine Couple shares a couple (pun intended) of epithets under which they were worried, and I have a few words about them (some of them are my interpretation of them)

The main one that comes to mind is the Gamelios-Gamelia pair which means “of marriage”. This is the epithet under which the Divine Couple would be prayed under during marriage ceremonies. Alternatively, the epithets Zygios-Zygia (meaning roughly the “spouse”) would be used for the same purpose.

Another one is the Teleios-Teleia pair, with Hera mostly being known for Her Teleia epithet. Meaning “complete”, this epithet is a bit more obscure and location-specific, with it being tied to the Argian/Boeotian areas of Greece (Hera’s main cult centres), where She was worshipped in the Pais-Teleia-Chera cycle. The Teleios-Teleia epithets designate the divine couple as married, settled down, and hence “complete” in the establishment of the Ancient Greek homestead (or oikos).

Now, the difference (my interpretation here) between Gamelios-Gamelia and Teleios-Teleia pairs is that the former is specifically for marriage ceremonies while the latter is more for matters regarding the life of a complete Greek person (ie married and settled down in a homestead with children), which despite how vague this distinction sounds, was specific enough for the people of Argos and Epidaurus to be considered as epithets under which to worship the Divine Couple, enough to add two different months in their calendars (namely Teleos and Gamos), and I think that’s beautiful.

[brineffxiv]

My new old friends and I continue our adventures through Elpis.

We're about to be eaten by a shark with legs when Venat drops out of goddamn nowhere and knocks the thing out. So fast I didn't even manage to capture the moment.

Hell of an entrance. I can certainly say I didn't expect to meet her like this.

Venat is apparently a former member of the Convocation who has eschewed the majority opinion and elected to remain and continue her work after retiring.

*Gaaaaaaassp!!*

Former Azem!? OMG.

Venat knows Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch of course, and they all have a little exchanging of pleasantries, discuss the current Azem (Me! It's Past Me! AAA!), and generally make smalltalk. When suddenly Venat turns to me, and asks...

DANGER! DANGER! THE CAT IS OUT OF THE CLOSET BAG!

Fuuuuuu-

The question is met with shocked reactions from my two travelling companions. Venat explains how she reached this conclusion: She senses her own magic upon me - a traveler's ward, designed to prevent the corruption of aether - and knowing she has never met me she surmises that she must have woven the enchantment at some point in the future.

I confirm her suspicions.

Emet-Selch is taking this very seriously. He is not going to like what I have to tell him.

Venat offers her accommodations here in Elpis as a place we can go where I can tell them all my story. Venat seems to me a very lovely person. She's difficult to dislike, even if I may have some grievances with her future self.

At Poieten Oikos, Venat prepares us some tea, and the group settle in to hear my tale.

I really appreciate how this was done. The time it took for me to explain everything, and the shots of the characters shown throughout as they reacted to what I was presumably telling them. The way the mood progressed from curiosity and hope to solemn horror as each of my new friends were confronted with their fates and the future of the star.

(It made sense to me that Venat was shown specifically contrasted with her future as Hydaelyn, and Emet-Selch with the fate of the convocation as a whole, but it was especially interesting to me that Hythlodaeus was confronted with - and presumably effected the most by - Emet-Selch and his phantom Amaurot. Not his own future as a shade sacrificed to Zodiark, but that of his friend and the burden he would bear. Curious, and food for thought... bad shipper brain! Not time for that!)

I speak for a long time; until the tea has long grown cold. None of them take what I've told them particularly well, and all express doubts. Venat seems the one most inclined to credit my story as being true.

I am extremely pleased to see that she has several of the same critiques of her future self's actions as I do! Perhaps we will get along better than I expected!

Emet-Selch is not taking this well at all. Honestly, I don't blame him. He plays the role of villain in this tale, and not only is he fated to labor in grief and isolation for thousands of lifetimes, he is ultimately doomed to fail. He alone among the Convocation must carry the burdens of sanity, memory, and responsibility.

In defence of your future self; I do not think you abandoned your brethren or your duty. I think assisting me was simply a backup plan in the event that I killed you. As to why you would do something so seemingly illogical as to invite me to Amaurot in the depths of the Tempest? I think, despite it all, you desperately wanted the person you still saw as your old friend to understand you. What you were doing and why. Deep down you didn't want to kill me, but rather, you wanted me to agree with you, to convert to your side of things. As impossible as that eventuality might seem, you still had hope that we could see eye-to-eye. The friend who disagreed so strongly with your chosen course that he left the Convocation might yet return. Your people - those sundered and those imprisoned with Zodiark - might be made whole and restored to life. All could be as it was, and the world could be restored to the version you loved, when you were happy and whole.

So you invited me to Amaurot. A final attempt to force me to see what we'd lost. It wasn't about winning, or the most logical course of action; it was about a desperate hope to reclaim even the tiniest sliver of what you lost. A friendship, a connection. Pain and loneliness and grief and love were your motivations.

Emet-Selch speaks and plans logically, and rationalizes his actions in the moment. But in truth he is ruled by his emotions: he feels too strongly and too keenly. He loved so much that loss turned him into a monster.

Anyway, back to the preset, Emet-Selch storms out the door with Hythlodaeus running and calling after him.

Venat and I are left alone.

I am concerned, but Venat assures me that if Emet-Selch is truly the man Azem has led her to believe he is, we will see him again.

Fortunately, Venat seems inclined to help me. I tell her of what I've learned of Dynamis, and of Hermes' experiments with it regarding Meteion. We set about questioning the nearby researchers regarding Hermes and his activities.

Our inquiries are mostly unproductive until we chance upon a researcher whose partner once saw Hermes, late one night, sending multiple Meteia skyward. We decide to speak to the researcher personally to hear this story in full. We ascend to the skyway, and, while waiting to hear from the researcher herself, Venat and I get to talking.

Venat wants to know what the world in the future is like. She asks me to tell her about my adventures - the smaller details, as opposed to the world ending ones.

In turn, Venat tells me of her own history; she has been a scholar, one who sought to learn and discover the mysteries of the world. Through her work she feels perpetually in awe of the miracles of creation. She is the Ur adventurer; the desire to travel and learn and experience runs strong in her. And she loves fiercely all that she has come to know.

Her people are her meaning and her purpose, and they are why she cannot bring herself to return to the star. Not so long as she feels they still need her. She speculates that her future self as Hydaelyn is still waiting for a time when She can let go, confident that we can guide our own way.

Oh. That is a hell of a question.

And one I'm not given time to answer before the woman we are waiting for appears. But here...

I think it's obvious I love this game. I adore it. It's fantastic. I'm already planning to play it through again once I've finished.

But what of Rhesh'a? How does he feel?

I imagine he's still somewhat in shock. He hasn't had a moment to rest and breathe in a very long time. He's very good at compartmentalizing, bucking down and dealing with stress in emergency situations. But, now, he's approaching the end of his rope emotionally, and he's going to have a hellish reckoning to face when he finally has a chance to come to terms with all he's been through. I do not think his journey can be described in such simple terms as "good" or "bad". Worthwhile? This is his life. All he is, all he has and loves has come to him through this journey.

I will have to think on this more.

The researcher arrives! She regales us with the tale of the Meteia, shooting skywards like stars from a little isle not too far off. This must be what Hermes was talking about when he told me of Meteion's sisters, off exploring distant stars.

When the researcher had asked Hermes about his secret project, he'd told her that he needed to do more tests before answering any questions.

I am strongly suspecting that this project of Hermes' with the Meteia is related to the root cause of the Final Days, and it seems Venat agrees with me. We are going to go to the little isle to investigate some more, but I cannot yet fly in Elpis so we need some way to get me there...

Argos is less than amenable to me riding on him this time. Venat's solution is for me to fight her, and prove to Argos that I am worthy. She does not go easy on me.

Ouch.

Venat kicked my ass. This fight was not easy with a broken hand, I tell you. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Yay! Argos likes me now!

Again.

...

Oh.

Oh no.

This dog. This fucking dog, man.

I'm sorry Argos, I'm sure you're the goodest of boys, it's just that you've suddenly become a symbol of everything about to go wrong for me. I tried. I tried so damn hard to ignore it, to put it aside, but my brain can't stop assembling the pieces of the puzzle. And the picture it's creating is upsetting.

Back up a bit. I've been keeping my eye out, and I'm certain I have yet to meet anyone who could be Elidibus. But this dog. Just made me think of something. Elidibus knew to send me into the past because he remembered meeting me here. Re-framed another way; the future I come from already exists as a result of me visiting the past. It's a closed time loop. In order for me to have travelled into the past, I must always have done so. The act of me travelling into the past itself does not create a change in the timeline because that act is a pre-condition to the existence of my own future.

All very well and good, but this dog.

This dog.

This dog knew me in the future.

Argos here had to learn to respect me before he would let me ride him. In the future I come from, my past, he liked me right away. The Watcher even remarked that it was strange for him to behave that way towards me.

But I'm the WoL: I'm used to being exceptional. Why would it be strange that the otherwise unapproachable dog liked me? I am Hydaelyn's specialest little boy, after all.

But here!

He doesn't! He fucking doesn't! I am NOT the exception to the rule!

Which can only mean, that when I encountered Argos on the moon, he was remembering me having earned his respect in the past.

Right now.

I always fought Venat in the past in order to earn Argos' respect. That's why he let me ride him.

Somehow. Incredibly. Horrifyingly. After all I have done. I have not managed to change the future. The timeline has not split. Despite Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and Venat all knowing exactly what is coming... and the former two at least (if not all three) explicitly not knowing that in my future... this time still leads to mine.

While I'm having my little freak out crisis, Venat and I arrive on the little island with the pretty pink tree.

Venat informs me that there are two ways to view an event in the past with my abilities. The first is what I've always experienced with the Echo, the second is utilizing the ambient aether for the same purpose. While I still can't control the ability voluntarily, Venat will help me.

I am granted a vision of Hermes and Meteion, having just sent the other Meteia off on their journeys to other stars. Their missions are to seek other intelligent lifeforms on other stars, and inquire of them their conceptions of life and what they live for. In finding these answers Hermes hopes to bring enlightenment to the peoples of this star, and improve the quality of life for all beings, not just man.

Hermes promises to hold a celebration for Meteion upon her return, and gift her a beautiful flower. I wonder if this is why she wanted to in turn gift Hermes a flower?

Returning to myself, Venat and I agree that it does not seem likely that Hermes would cause the Final Days on purpose. But we cannot rule out an accidental cause, or an oversight. In light of this, Venat suggests we fill Hermes in on my story, and seek his expertise in the field of Dynamis on this matter.

That it would not. If there is anything that can be done to prevent Hermes from becoming the Fandaniel of my time, then I would do it.

[loemius]

talk to us about Charon worship, Herakles worship, or Hera worship-- three figures that get very little attention in polytheistic spaces compared to ones like the internet's darling Hermes

OH BOY WOULD I LOVE TO!! thank you for the ask <333 im so excited i gotta do all three of them and pray i dont hit character limit again LMAO HERAKLES: there's two main things that draw me to herakles: 1) his liminal nature. he's both given these divine tasks from literal birth (the snakes in his crib) but is also so deeply human. he's suffered devastating things, and yet, he keeps going, he perseveres. is he worshipped as a mortal hero or as one of the divine? there's evidence for BOTH in antiquity (see oxford handbook of herakles chapter 33 for more). herakles is often an aggressive figure, and through his labors, it can be seen as him 'taming' the wilds and being a helper to society. it's such an interesting juxtaposition and its hard for me to articulate it because of just how deep it runs. 2) herakles lives out every mystai's dream. he's an initiate of the eleusinian mysteries, has been to hyperborea, and he earns apotheosis and a life with the gods, forever in their company. i look up to that. this doesn't even mention all his other adventures outside of his labors! he's got so much going on, and it's all fascinating. herakles has a lot to do with protection, masculinity, athleticism, and averting evil. upg wise, i worship him as an example of someone to look up to -- despite all the things he's been through and the impossible tasks facing him, he's determined and never gives up and asks the gods for help (side note: his relationship with athena is so interesting). i find that he gives me courage and is just a fun and protective presence to be around. if anyone is interested in him, i highly suggest oxford handbook of herakles. fantastic book. CHARON: honestly, charon is a newer figure in my worship, so i don't have a ton of particular sources to share about him. i like that he's a friendly face to the end. i think a lot about the inherent verbal pun of 'khaire kharon' based on how similar the two words are and greeting the ferryman as a friend. there's something to me about his hardworking nature. upg wise, i like to collect my spare change for him and put it in a little dish as an offering. not just for me, but to pay it forward for anyone who might not have anything to pay him with for their ferry. i just find him to be a really interesting figure tbh and im excited to develop my relationship with him more. HERA: oh boy oh boy where do i start with our lovely queen of the gods. i love the orphic association with her and winds -- thinking about how that pairs with father zeus and his storms endlessly delights me, a cosmic dance from the king and queen. her relationship with zeus fascinates me endlessly. they both get a lot of shit on this site, but in cult, they were considered to be deeply in love (theogamia, daedala, their epithets gamelia/gamelii). hera is the keeper of father zeus' oikos (household). she is the one who decides if who gets to join the oikos and who doesn't (much of her persecution of zeus' children without her can be interpreted as her deciding who and who is not worthy of being in her oikos). in cult, she was often revered as an all-mother figure, especially in argos and samos, and i love that interpretation of her. she's a very complex figure, and i love that about her. i love her role in women's lives. i think a lot about her epithets pais, teleia, khera (girl, married woman, widow [from when she separated from zeus for a period of time]). no matter where you are in your life, hera will be there for you. i find that very comforting. upg wise, i pray to her about just about anything. i find she's always a comforting and listening ear. i like to pray to her about my relationships, given her marriage related epithets. i find that she gives me confidence and courage to stand up for myself like she does, to carry myself in the world with grace. i just really like her okay thank you SO much for this ask, this was an absolute treat to talk about. i genuinely appreciate it so much, gods be with you always and bless you

[paganimagevault]

Enthroned Scythian woman or deity (possibly Tabiti) with a vial and a horseman holding a drinking horn 3rd-2nd C. BCE. The woman/deity sits between an impaled animal skull (on her left) and what appears to be a tree of life (on her right). Fragment of a gold rhyton from a burial mound near the village of Merdzhany, Krasnodar region. H. 13.2cm. State Hermitage Museum.

“…we do not lend the hearth quite the importance that our ancestors did, Greek or otherwise. …The word ‘hearth’ shares its ancestry with ‘heart,’ just as the modern Greek for ‘hearth’ is kardia, which also means ‘heart.’ In Ancient Greece, the broader concept of hearth and home was expressed by the Oikos, which lives on for us today in economics and ecology. The Latin for hearth is focus – which speaks for itself. It is a strange and wonderful thing that out of the words for the fireplace, we have spun “cardiologist’, ‘deep focus’ and ‘eco-warrior.’ The essential meaning of centrality that connects them also reveals the great significance of the hearth to the Greeks and Romans, and consequently, the importance of Hestia, its presiding deity.”

― Stephen Fry, Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

[redcap3]

Charming - Pt. 1

Charmed. 

Since I became a part of the hypnosis community, it’s been this shining star on the horizon. 

“Oh, you should go to Charmed!”

“I got the best idea from this class at Charmed…”

“Last time at Charmed I got so melted…”

The star became even more intense when I became part of the Oikos family. 

“I wish you’d been with us for…”

“When you go to Charmed, we’ll…”

“I am going to collar you at Charmed.”

Well. We all know that last one didn’t work out, but the point remains that it took on a status beyond just “this is a big convention” for me. 

My Goddess and the other Chosen made it clear that Charmed is their event of the year, a celebration on par with and just as important as the recent winter holidays. 

In 2018 I was still navigating the end of my marriage. In 2019, I was too broke after my divorce. 

In 2020, I didn’t feel like I could make the money work, and I didn’t ask them to help because it didn’t feel right. 

In 2021, I attended online yet still knew I was missing out on the ‘real’ Charmed experience. 

In 2022, we were within a week of leaving for the con when the host city declared a health emergency due to spiking COVID delta variant cases, and the family made the decision we had to stay home for safety, even as it broke us. 

(There was deep, fundamental damage that day to all of us in the Oikos, and many of those wounds still haven’t healed.)

I don’t regret anything about the collaring that Goddess found a way to perform for me and for Camden Dawn, my amazing counterpart, but there was still a lingering ache of knowing it was not what we had wanted to do.

Last summer I finally made it to Beguiled, and got a taste of what the hypnocon experience could be like. 

When Camden came to me and said she needed to be at Charmed regardless of what the family chose to do, I agreed, and I promised her she wouldn’t go alone. 

I made every effort to ensure I would be as safe as possible to go. 

Third booster for immunocompromised patients? Grabbed mine within a week of the announcement. Bivalent booster? Hit it the day it became available in Minnesota. I asked my doctor if I could do anything else to protect myself, and she even got me the Evushield prophylactic shot series. 

I pulled finances together even as I sunk money into dealing with some major house repairs. I researched what would be the best routes if we drove, I checked flights and I watched rental car rates regularly. 

On some level I knew that Charmed had been built up in my head into something bigger than any one event could really be, but at the same time a part of my brain said ‘If we go to Charmed, everything finally gets to happen. I get to have my own Charmed stories! Everyone gets better. Everything will be OK again.’

So I basically needed Charmed to be perfect in a way that was genuinely impossible…and yet I am also going to tell you that I had a really great trip!

So how does that work?

Wednesday: In chaos there is…mostly just chaos, actually. 

(Administrative note: The Oikos family as a whole and I specifically wore N95 respirators with fitted seals, plugged valves, and disposable filters any time we were in a public space, and changed those filters daily. If I do not mention being masked, please assume that I was masked up in my interactions unless in a private space with the consent of all parties.)

So I should preface that Goddess charged me with doing logistics for the trip after a conversation where the majority of the family decided that we would fly rather than drive. 

(Camden and Sleepyhead had already booked plane tickets due to some circumstances, but we would all be in the same hotel)

Within 12 hours of that discussion I had plane tickets booked for Goddess, myself, Copper, Jukebox, Tigress, the younger spawn (hereby referred to YS), and Timbit. (I initially did Timbit's seat by paying for an additional seat under my own name when I booked our tickets online. This turned out to be Wrong. More on this later.)

I booked a rental car which was listed as being able to carry all of us and our luggage for a week, set to be picked up once the main group had landed, plans to get us to the hotel and meet friends, and to get access to two of our three hotel rooms. 

(One room was reserved outside of the con block for Goddess, Copper, Jukebox and YS, since they’re only 17 and really do not want to know what we get up to in our spare time. We also had a handicap accessible room paid for by a friend of Goddess’ as a holiday present that was supposed to be in the con block (it was four doors down from the “outside” room, and nowhere near the con block or the con area!), and a “standard” room Camden had booked that was in the con area and turned out to be much more accessible for me to get around the con than the accessible rooms!)

We all slept at the “prime” Oikos house Tuesday evening, with cabs scheduled to pick up the primary traveling groups and take us to the airport at 7:30am so we would be ready for our 10:20 flight to Baltimore. I even checked us all in, prepaid for checked bags and forwarded the electronic boarding passes to everyone Tuesday afternoon so we could get to our gate with as little stress as possible. 

(I had originally planned on a Lyft XL capable of taking the group, but there were some concerns about the Lyft driver not wanting to take a dog.)

There were expected to be some light snow flurries, but nothing that would cause too much trouble. We would get picked up, go to the Delta counter closest to the airport’s south security checkpoint which was almost directly across from our gate’s concourse, and be golden. 

Which is why we were totally shocked to wake up and find that freezing rain had coated everything in about a quarter inch of ice. 

For those who don’t know: I have RA and mobility issues, and was planning on using my cane to get around the airport. 

But first I had to get my luggage. From my car. Parked on the driveway. 

The roughly fifty degree slope driveway. Covered in ice. 

Worse, as we attempted to abseil down the slopes to get everything together from the house for the trip to the airport, we quickly realized our cabs were nowhere to be found. 

We ended up taking two Lyft rides after all, though I was so deep into trying to adjust the plans on the fly that I didn’t even notice Goddess, Tigress, Timbit, and YS getting picked up from the other side of the house!

Once Copper, Jukebox, the rest of the bags and I were on the way, I got a notification on my phone that our gate had changed from Concourse G to Concourse F, but at least it was still in the same general area. 

Then we got to the Delta counter and found out our gate was now in “C” concourse - on the opposite side of the airport. 

I took my bag to the drop, and found out my main bag that I had (over) packed with outfits, rope, and toys was seven pounds overweight. 

Rather than try to repack my carryon and checked bag, I took the financial hit, got into the precheck lane at the south checkpoint, and asked for help from a handicap assistance cart to run me over to the gate while Copper and Jukebox headed for the north checkpoint. 

At the same time, Goddess and her party were being dropped off, and thanks to our heads up they went to the North checkpoint. 

Unfortunately, a TSA agent decided to give Goddess a headache about YS’s legal gender on their passport not marching the ticket (YS found themselves to be non-binary since the passport was issued) and then wanted to know why Timbit didn’t have an animal pass. 

That would be my fuckup, since I didn’t know Timbit needed an animal pass since she was in a carrier and had a ticket to travel in the main cabin. 

Goddess, YS, and Tigress went back to the Delta counter, finding Copper along the way, and eventually sorted the situation out while I sat at our gate, increasingly confused and hungry. 

(I had planned to get something from a caribou by our original gate and use a straw / strategic positioning to be able to lift my mask seal long enough to eat, but with the gate change there was nothing close enough to get to easily with my carryon and cane.)

My solution, once I was caught up via discord on what was going on, was to provide as much info as I could to Goddess until the Delta agent was able to help sort it all out, and to put in a mobile order at the Dunkin Donuts near-ish to our gate on the concourse with a request for Tigress to grab it in exchange for getting her a Diet Coke. In the meantime, Delta provided Goddess with a wheelchair and attendant to get her down to the gate, and everyone else followed suit. 

Now I need you to know I used the Dunkin app to order egg bites, an iced coffee, Tigress’ Diet Coke, and on impulse, a brownie batter donut. 

Boarding was called shortly after Tigress let me know she had the order, so I let her know Goddess and I were pre-boarding with Timbit, and to please bring me the food and I’d try to eat on the plane before the doors were closed. 

Long story short, Tigress arrived with a donut and a Diet Coke because that was all the Dunkin staff gave her, and I had to open a ticket with Dunkin’s mobile order support to see if I could get the other $10 of stuff refunded. 

It had been aggravating, stressful, and I got a big blob of chocolate goo on my t-shirt, but we all got on the plane and into our seats without further incident. 

(Well, aside from the ticket agent wondering why I had two tickets, which I had to explain again about Timbit (and my size making it generally a good policy to have an extra seat next to me) and the agent said “Oh, you didn’t have to do it that way! You could have saved some money!”

Notice she didn’t actually offer to refund me that money. Yeah. Thanks, Delta!)

The flight itself was pretty uneventful, and I have to praise the best pup here - Timbit (who was admittedly stoned out of her little puppy mind on CBD dog treats) didn’t bark, whine, or make a mess in her carrier. She was sweet and good and Goddess and I did our best to open the carrier when possible and give her pets, contact, and reassurance. 

(Oh, and we were miraculously not caught in the FAA shutting down a majority of air traffic that morning! A bit of luck I am still grateful for.)

We finally reached Baltimore, waited for most of the passengers to deplane, and eventually got off the plane and down to baggage claim, and I suggested to Copper that the two of us go to the rental car depot to get the rental and have him added as an additional driver so he could take YS out to the Smithsonian at a couple points during the con, while the others got bags together and took a break to rest.

(For those who have never needed to acquire ground transportation at BWI, it is a bit different from most of the airports in the US, where a rental car garage / parking deck will be located adjacent to the Terminal. To get a rental car at BWI, you must take a shuttle bus out to a facility that is about 3 miles away from the airport, where you will also return the car when it is time to go home. For Copper and I, this meant a ~10 minute bus ride (after hustling, and failing, to catch the one going by as we left baggage claim), then a short walk to the Enterprise counter.

Unlike our airline experience, getting the car reservation pulled up and having Copper added as a driver was pretty painless!

I was starting to drag a bit (a lot) due to lack of food / water and wearing my Envo N95 respirator for the better part of six hours at that point, but a reprieve was in sight. 

Sort of.

Y’see, I mentioned reserving a “Full Size” SUV / Crossover? The first two options we were shown were both crossovers with only 5 seats. 

Third time was mostly a charm with a Nissan Armada that we dubbed “Cyclonus the Rental Tank.” It had three full rows of seats with decent legroom, but loading cargo required a bit of tetris when we got back to BWI to load the family in. Still, it was a vehicle, it ran, and we’d fit in it. Good enough.

(It turns out it also had a hair trigger throttle, an acceleration curve that was more like a sheer cliff, and a navigation system that I well and truly hated by the end of the drive to the hotel, but hey, it did the job!)

We made the way down to the hotel, got our first room secured, and got everyone and their things inside while we tried to work on the second. (Oh - and those ‘accessible’ rooms? Required you to take a half flight of stairs unless you wanted to enter or leave the hotel from a side door! I might have been a bit peeved about that.)

I had already planned to make a Target run for needed supplies (CPAP water, potable water, drinks, snacks, first aid stuff), and we ordered some pizza for everyone because I was about ready to start eating some of my metamours at that point. 

(Sorry, Jukebox.)

After pizza arrived and I managed to eat and have some water, my mood was back up into at least “mildly chuffed”, and I began texting with Panda, who had graciously offered to re-color my hair when I had lamented not having time to dye it during my con prep. (OK, I actually started texting Panda after we had boarded the flight, but now we got serious.)

Getting the information to get into the second room took a lot longer than we had expected, and I was way past overstimmed and overwhelmed by that point. Even busying myself with putting the Target order in so I could pick it up later didn’t really help much, and it was an incredible relief when we finally got the keys and I could retreat for a few minutes…just as I got the notification that the Target order was ready.

I took a deep breath, asked Tigress if she would come with me, and we made our way over to get the stuff, which was mostly uneventful.

(Note: WHO PUTS MULTIPLE DRIVE-UP AREAS IN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE RAMP?) We would return to the hotel, get stuff distributed, and I was finally able to tell Panda that it could come down to start having hair fun, and I let another friend, Linnybee, know that I had the “Trance Cards” she had asked me to print ready so that we could hole punch them, attach ribbons / twine, and hopefully distribute them during the con as fun ways to keep track of scenes and as souvenirs. 

Not too long after we started making good progress on the cards, Panda arrived, and I broke out the various (and generally less than ⅓ full) bottles of color I’d had left in my house from the last time I had a friend help me color it at home. It was not long before I was changing into pajama pants and an old tank top so Panda could get to work mixing up purples, blues, and pinks, and place a very shiny cape around my neck. (“I’ve got foils and everything!”) Side note: Panda and I have been friends since sometime in 2020, but this was our first in person meeting instead of zoom, discord, or text conversations. It gave me an amazing hug when we finally got to be in person, and squished very nicely. Huzzah. It will probably not surprise anyone that after a long and stressful day, sitting down and letting Panda mess with my hair eventually turned into Panda messing with my head, getting nicely relaxed and trancy as it took care of  me, lightly fractionating me but being careful not to completely melt my brain since I still had things to do. (Turns out this also did Tigress some splash damage, which, well, whoops!) Goddess and Timbit dropped by while we waited for the color to set, and it wasn’t long before I was stripping down to shower and rinse off the excess dye while Panda made sure everything was combed out and looking good, then washed my hair with color protecting shampoo and conditioner. By the end my hair was purple and pink with blue accents that looked amazing and I got the chance to spend a bit more time with Panda and Linny before they each needed to be off to their next adventures, while I got dressed again to head back to BWI to pick up Camden and Sleepy.

We had passed a Steak & Shake on the highway on our way between the airport and hotel, making plans to grab food there for a late dinner with everyone on the way back from BWI, but in the post pandemic world it appears that S&S is no longer a 24/7 beacon of grease and hand spun goodness, so a backup plan of chicken, biscuits, and fries was arranged to be delivered to Goddess’ room while I made my way up to the Arrivals section of the terminal and found a good spot to wait, pulling up to the curb moments before I got a message from Sleepyhead that their plane had touched down.

When they emerged and made their way to the car with their bags there were hugs and a few kisses before we got back on the road, and I happily listened to how they had each tranced each other during the flight. I had known that Daja and Sleepy had planned a special experience for Cammie on the plane, but I was just as squeeful with compersion to hear about Miss Dawn putting our lovely dolly into her own deep trance.

I dropped them at the front of the hotel so that Camden could get checked in and acquire room keys, then parked the tank as close to Goddess’ room as I could, meeting everyone inside for a meal and some quiet hanging out time before I eventually went down to take a look at Camden’s room and I asked if it would be OK for me to stay down in their room rather than try to do a lot of stairs and walk about two-thirds of the length of the hotel any time I wanted to go back and forth. I was concerned about Tigress feeling abandoned, but she completely understood why I needed that access, and I was grateful for her acceptance. Bags were grabbed, stuff was shifted, and I ended up getting ready for bed with Sleepy curled up against me in one of the two queens and Camden in the other, listening to Goddess’ peaceful sleep file as the three of us drifted off. Thursday: Pre-Con sounds great, but…

Somehow, despite going to bed closer to 2am than not, the three of us woke around 8 and no-one died. I had originally planned to attend EnScenic’s Music, Hypnosis, & Hijinx class that morning at 10, but after I took my meds and did some self reflection, it was clear that what I really needed was to take it easy that morning. 

I am reasonably sure I had breakfast, though I genuinely do not remember what it was, grabbed some extra naptime with Sleepyhead, and eventually arranged to get some additional groceries for the weekend delivered to our room, though I was continually thwarted in my search for the high-protein shakes my dietician recent recommended I add to my meal planning.

I also stopped by registration and got my badge somewhere in there, but I genuinely don’t remember when or how, though I did run into several friends and acquaintances along the way to say “Hi!”

Sleepy has been open about her battles with anxiety and depression as she prepared for and attended the con, so I will say that I spent some time comforting her while Camden went out to explore and meet up with several people (including Daja, once she arrived), and not too long after we had a nice lunch sent over from the Double T diner, she asked if I could use some pallet wrapI had in my bag to give her a nice comfy bondage hug and a trance that soon turned into restful sleep. (Note: Double T is a descendent of the Greek Diner tradition, and their Moussaka was amazing. It reminded me so much of the Moussaka I used to get at Matsos’ back in Wooster that I would not be shocked to learn their family recipes both came from the same part of the country. Not a crucial part of the weekend, but it was a nice and unexpected bit of comfort and nostalgia for me!) I eventually decided to skip the afternoon classes as well, given that I needed to (in no particular order) acquire our massive household cookie order from EnScenic, pick up the books I had shipped to the Con via Daja to sell and drop them off with EnScenic so she could vend them when I wasn’t available, pick up rope I had ordered ahead of time from Lynx and her company MFA designs that I secretly intended to gift to Daja since she had expressed an interest in learning how to do rigging and I had offered to show her some of the basic ties I use with Cammie as her subject and Sleepy as my demo partner, go to a hardware store (or arrange delivery) for hex keys because I forgot my lightsabers’ set screw keys, my wife to murder and Guilder to blame for it.

(If it sounds like I was kinda overcommitted this weekend, you are exactly right. A big lesson I am taking away is to really think about how many hours are in the day, and how much I actually will feel able to do.) Oh, and did I mention that I was part of the on-site consent team, and was on-call in case any issues came up before our kickoff meeting / pizza party that night?

Yeah.

Thankfully we did not get any calls for consent issues that I was asked to help with that day, but it was a constant tickle in the back of my head as I tried to keep an eye on our reporting channels and discord chats.

Somehow, 90% of what I wanted to do got done, and I even managed to pick up a couple of badge ribbons from Meraklis, who I had done a fun scene with at Beguiled and was looking forward to seeing more of later.

Daja, her spouse Turq, and Cammie came back to the room for dinner, and we picked up Italian as a compromise between most of the group wanting pizza, and me already being pizza’d out thanks to having a lot of pizza on Monday and Wednesday, and knowing more pizza was in my future for the late evening. We ordered from a local restaurant called Bella Italia, and my eggplant rollatini was delicious, thank you. 

There was a bit of light play before and after we ate, but it was generally just a happy hangout time with good friends and watching some AGDQ speedruns. Daja was given the rope (though we kinda had to do a raincheck on the lesson - more on that later), and Turq and I got to vibe a bit while mutually appreciating Sleepy.

(For those not familiar with Sleepyhead, A) How? and B) You should know that basically everyone in the community is a little bit in love with her, and it is a beautiful thing. Since this was our first time attending a hypnocon together, I privately made a promise to myself to give her as much freedom as she wanted to play with friends, other partners, and potential play or romantic  partners. I didn’t want her to feel I was constantly following her around or breathing down her neck, and I think we both did a good job of letting each other do what we needed to do while communicating and occasionally sharing fun stories or experiences when we had proper permission.)

I went to part of the “Welcome” event hosted by Psy and the concom that evening, but lack of seating eventually made me move over to the room where the Consent Team meeting was to be held while I read a bit and futzed with my phone.

One of my goals for Charmed was to try to get out in the community more, since most people either knew me from my writing or an online event or two. I made a goal to be more social and make more connections in the community, so I decided to put a post out in the “Looking For Play At Hotel” channel to let people know I was open to play on both sides of the watch, so to speak, and that I had brought stuff to do rope, impact, and sensation play. Once that was done I also reached out to some friends and previous play partners who were doing classes, and asked about being a potential demo bottom for a few of them.

Well, I quickly learned that offering to be a top at a kink con will get you a lot of attention, as my messages exploded within moments of the post going up. 

I replied to as many as I could, making plans to negotiate and potentially play on Friday or Saturday, generally with an eye for making use of the dungeon while it would be open, but leaving in-room play on the table as well.

The consent team kickoff would go smoothly, with our fearless leaders Spinfrog and T distributing plastic file folders to keep our paperwork, notepads, kleenex, and some emergency candy in, and we made sure everyone had their ground rules (and more pizza) before breaking up. I ended up bumping into Meraklis again while she was talking to several people about her Jedi Mind Trick triggers, and she asked if I’d mind being an impromptu demo, since I wanted to have the trigger refreshed anyway. (Oh no, please don’t throw me into that briar patch...)

The trigger is pretty simple: If Merkalis or someone you trust waved their hand in front of you in the usual “Jedi” manner, you froze for a few seconds and then went back to normal. If they waved and said a phrase (“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for”), you would blank out, repeat the phrase, and then surface again. 

It’s cute, it’s silly, and I love it dearly. When it was set up at Beguiled she had put a limit of the trigger expiring once the convention ended, but this time we left it a bit more open ended as long as I was in a safe place with people I was comfortable going into trance around.

I had a few more hallway conversations on my way back, including bumping into someone who I had a warm and happy conversation with, and knew I recognized, but my brain utterly failed to identify her(?) by name, and since they didn’t have a badge on, I was SOL.

(You were wearing a cute motorcycle jacket, skirt, and a steel infinity collar, and I had hoped to run into you again and say Hi / actually get your name! If you read this, please ping me so we can catch up more?)

I would return to the room, a bit tired but still in good emotional space, and Sleepy would ask if her friend gothsocks could come down to say hello for a bit. 

I had also been talking to socks and getting to know her better, so I happily agreed. We had been discussing the possibility of doing a dollification and cuddles / light play scene during the weekend, so I was happy to just have some low key, no pressure hang out time to build some groundwork and rapport.

(Plus socks is neat, and again: trying to be a more social creature.) 

What mostly ended up happening was socks and I nerding out over FFXIV’s latest expansion and new classes / raids / dungeons for a while before we all needed to get some sleep while Sleepyhead watched us infodump back and forth, and it was great.

Not long after goth left Sleepy and I planned out a few things for Friday before we got cuddled up for bed again, knowing that Camden was likely to be spending the night elsewhere.

[witchysagittarius]

"The greek word oikeiosis means belonging. It is rooted in the word oikos, which is the word for house, household, or family."

-The Stoic way of Life by Marcus Epictetus

[hestiashearthfire]

I view the term oikos very broadly, so I tend to think of anyone who has influenced or been a part of my life my oikos. Even you, dear blog readers, are oikos. I love looking at my altar and praying there, because I’m reminded each time how many people have loved me to where I am. Gods bless you all. You are in my prayers always.

[tipsycad147]

Hecate: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings

Written by Francisco Huanaco Posted on June 8, 2021

A mysterious Greek deity, Hecate lives in the corners of the Greek mythos. A goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod.

Hecate’s name (Greek: Hekate, Latin: Hecate) means far-reaching one, and hints at this goddess’s wide influence over a variety of earthly and supernatural affairs. Some scholars suggest that this name ties her closely with the goddess Artemis, and that Hecate might actually be a shadowy aspect of Artemis.

Who is Hecate?

Hecate belongs to a group of deities known as protectors of the oikos, or household. She had good company in this regard, with other protective deities being Zeus, ruler of the gods, and Hermes, the herald of the gods. Her association with boundaries such as walls and doors give her a quality of between-ness.

Hecate mediates between realms: inside the city and outside, the realm of life and the underworld, the household and the world. Hecate’s mediating presence led many followers to ask that bad fortune or malevolent spirits be kept from their household, and Hecate had the power to either rebuff or admit spirits into a home.

Hecate is heavily associated with the crossroads, the place where multiple paths intersect. She, along with Hermes, is responsible for fate that travelers meet on the road, therefor it would be wise for any traveler to make offerings to the goddess in hopes of a safe journey.

Hecate: Goddess Facts

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod noted that Hecate received much praise from Zeus, the King of Mount Olympus. Zeus often showered Hecate with gifts, and the other immortal deities of the Greek pantheon honor her as well in their various ways. Hesiod even goes so far as to say that when a human makes a sacrifice, that human invokes the power of Hecate herself and it is her decision whether to bestow fortune and happiness upon that person.

The goddess Hecate watches battles and determines whom she will grant the glory of victory to. Athletes, as well, operate under the auspices of Hecate for they also want the glory of victory. Among others that Hecate takes a keen interest in are horsemen, sailors and fishers, and children.

The goddess was also known for her closeness to both medicines and poisons. She taught other mythological figures such as the witch Medea how to work with Magic. Those who practiced the Eleusinian Mysteries (the most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece) paid homage to Hecate, and psychoactive and hallucinogenic plants were unsurprisingly associated with her as well. Many magical and esoteric practices occurred at the Eleusinian Mysteries. Hecate’s presence as a goddess of the Mysteries imply that she played a significant part in moving from a normal state of consciousness into the state of ecstatic madness that the Mysteries became famous for.

Working with Hecate

The best way to connect with Hecate, like any goddess or god, is through the mythology, epithets and symbols. Here’s a summary of the most important tales featuring the goddess Hecate, and how to worship Her in your personal pagan practice.

Myth of Hecate

Hecate and Persephone

Hecate as Goddess of the Underworld

Greek Goddess of Magic

Symbols of Hecate

Titles and Epithets of Hecate

How to Worship Hecate as a Goddess

Hecate Correspondences

Hecate Offerings

Invocations & Prayers

Hecate Spells

Hecate Ritual

Further reading

Myth of Hecate

In the stories, Hecate helped the gods in their struggle against the Gigantes, the hundred giants mothered by Gaia. The Gigantes were known for their aggression, and Hecate killed the giant Clytius with her famous torches. She also assisted Zeus in his war against the Titans, despite being born to a Titan herself. Odysseus, the hero of the Odyssey, took Queen Hecuba as a slave after the fall of Troy. When Hecuba slew a king and was in turn killed for her crimes, the gods transformed Hecuba into a black dog, whereupon she became Hecate’s animal companion.

One of Hecate’s most famous roles in Greek mythology is when she serves as psychopomp to Persephone. A psychopomp is a being involved in the transmigration of the soul. The mythic ferryman Charon is one such figure, ferrying the souls of dead across the river Styx. Likewise, Hecate performs this function with Persephone.

Hecate and Persephone

Persephone, to give a quick backstory, was the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter. Zeus gave the god of the underworld, Hades, permission to abduct Persephone (goddess of vegetation and spring) and take her into the netherworld. Demeter enlisted the aid of Hecate in the search of her daughter Persephone. Hecate brought her famous torches to help and she and Demeter searched and searched for Persephone to no avail. Eventually, the environment and the harvest ground to a halt.

Nothing would grow from the Earth, and soon thereafter living things began to die off with no regeneration. Dismayed at this sorry state of affairs, Zeus sent the messenger god Hermes to the underworld to fetch Persephone. Hades agreed to allow Persephone to leave, but he tricked her into eating the seeds of a pomegranate. Since she tasted of the fruit, Persephone was obligated to spend the winter in the underworld with Hades and the rest of the year with her mother and the gods.

In some versions of the story, Hermes is the only one who leads Persephone out of the underworld after this occurs. However, there has been artwork depicting Persephone leaving the underworld as Hermes stands to the side. In this depiction, it is Hecate that leads Persephone out with her trademark torches that she had used earlier to search for the missing goddess. As the goddess of boundaries, it is fitting that Hecate be the one to lead Persephone across the threshold of the dead, back into the world of light and the living.

Hecate as Goddess of the Underworld

Hecate’s association with the Underworld meant that she often spent time there. She would frequently accompany Persephone whenever Persephone had to return for the winter months. Hades welcomed Hecate into the underworld, and this hospitality played a part in Hecate’s association with ghosts, necromancy, and other darker magical phenomena. Hecate’s triple head and her association with both the underworld and dogs may also hint at the triple-headed guardian of the Greek underworld, Cerberus, but this connection is rather tenuous.

Greek Goddess of Magic

Hecate’s legacy has been kept alive in the imagination, far past the days of Ancient Greece. Shakespeare mentions her in two of his most famous plays, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and there have been several new religious movements as late as the 1920s that performed mysterious rituals and sacrifices in Hecate’s honor.

Hecate is a versatile goddess. The Queen of the Night, she influences events in the heavens, on the earth, and at sea, thereby guaranteeing that she touches life whether it flies, swims, or walks. Her association with medicine and poison give her dominion over sickness and health, as well as mind-altering states brought on by psychoactive substances. In this sense, Hecate helps facilitate altered states of mind, watching over individuals as they travel to the inner depths. And her fondness of dogs implies a fondness for animals and companionship.

Hecate’s most important aspect, however, is that of the boundary-walker. Like many other deities of liminal spaces, Hecate can often be polymorphous, taking a different shape based on the situation. She is a fluid and mysterious goddess. Some fear her, some revere her, but all should respect her as she tends to the places that delineate the known from the unknown. She appears in triplicate, and three is an appropriate number for the goddess of boundaries: inside, outside, and Hecate, the one who travels freely in between.

Symbols of Hecate

One of the most famous symbols of Hecate is the triple-formed statue. The Greeks would place these triple-formed statues near a pole, much in the same way the herms of Hermes would be used to fend off evil or misfortune. In latter-day paganism, Hecterions (a form of pillar) depict the goddess with six arms, three torches and three sacred symbols: A Key, A Rope and A Dagger.

Hecate’s Key is a key to the underworld, Hecate unlocks the secrets of the occult mysteries and knowledge of afterlife.

The Rope, sometimes referred to as a cord or scourge, symbolizes the umbilical cord of rebirth and renewal.

The Dagger or Athame is a symbol of ritual power. It cuts away delusion and brings empowerment and trust to our judgment.

Torches: Hecate is often shown holding two torches, symbolic of her role as guide and initiator in the Eleusian Mysteries. Hecate acted as guide and companion to Persephone in the myth and in the ceremonies enacted each year, marking the seasonal changes and the growth of and harvest of the grain of the Goddess Demeter. Her torches provided light in the darkness, taking the seeker on a journey of initiation, helping them to overcome the restrictions of the obstacles they would find in their way. The torches continue to be an important symbol of her mysteries, the fire and the light of illumination, not of darkness, but of light.

Hecate’s Dogs: She often took the form of a dog, as well as taking on dog companions. In the Greek myth, Hecate became Persephone’s guide and companion in the Underworld. It is said that the howl of a dog may herald the arrival of the Far-Reaching Goddess. Early depictions of Hecate’s dogs were friendly and affable; but later on the goddess’s dogs suggested demons or agitated spirits, but what led to this shift in perception is a matter of speculation.

Hecate’s Sigil

Hecate’s Sigil: The strophalos is a spinning top, or wheel, used in Magic. It is an emblem of the goddess Hecate. The symbol is said to be the depiction of a labyrinthine serpent around a central spiral. The labyrinthine snake is representative of rebirth and renewal and relates to the three faces of Hecate.

Triple Moon: Hecate is a Triple Moon Goddess connected with the dark aspect of the lunar disc. The Moon has no light of its own, being a dark body. The light that comes from the Moon is reflected sunlight. Hecate is often seen as a part of a Triple Moon Goddess where she embodies the dark face of the New Moon. Hecate was represented in triple form from the early days of her worship.

Crossroads: Boundaries limit us in our day to day life, providing obstacles that we must traverse in order to grow. As the Goddess of Crossroads, Hecate’s role in mediating boundaries, as well as her association with the underworld, make her a goddess of a mystery that’s plagued humans for as long as we’ve known of it: death.

Epithets and Names of Hecate

Here’s a short list of the titles and names of Hecate:

Apotropaia (that turns away/protects)

Chthonia (of the earth/underworld)

Enodia (on the way)

Klêidouchos (holding the keys)

Kourotrophos (nurse of children)

Krokopeplos (saffron cloaked)

Melinoe

Phosphoros, Lampadephoros (bringing or bearing light)

Propolos (who serves/attends)

Propulaia/Propylaia (before the gate)

Soteria (savior)

Trimorphe (three-formed)

Triodia/Trioditis (who frequents crossroads)

How to Worship Hecate

As a “goddess of witchcraft”, Hecate has been incorporated in various systems of modern witchcraft, Wicca and Neopaganism, in some cases associated with the Wild Hunt of Germanic tradition, in others as part of a reconstruction of specifically Greek polytheism, in English also known as “Hellenismos”.

In Wicca, Hecate has in some cases become identified with the “Crone” aspect of the Triple Goddess. The 3 aspects of the Moon are associated to three Greek goddesses:

The Crescent Moon, represented by Artemis (the Maiden), also known as “Diana” in Roman mythology.

The Full Moon, represented by the Selene (the Maid), also known as Luna.

The Waning Moon, represented by Hecate (the Crone), also known as Trivia.

Hecate Correspondences

Hecate’s Associations: Crossroads, entrances, Magic, Witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy and sorcery. She is also considered the protectress of flocks, sailors, and Witches.

Symbols: Torch, currant cakes, crossroads, candles, number 3.

Animals: dogs, horses, sheep, owls, and bats.

Gems: Sapphire, moonstone, black tourmaline, onyx, hematite.

Colors: Orange and black.

Genealogy: Daughter of Perses and Asteria.

Hecate Offerings

One way to work with Hecate as a Wiccan or Neopagan, is to craft an Altar for her. Include her symbols or depiction (such as a statue or an illustration) and leave offerings to Hecate:

Apples, Almonds, Cakes, Garlic, Grapes, Dandelions, Mushrooms, Oak leaves, Feathers, Moonstone.

Other types of offerings popular with Greek deities are bay leaves, fruits, flowers, incense, libations of wine and milk and honey.

Incense for Hecate: Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood, Benzoin, Cinnamon.

Hecate of the Crossroads Incense

Incense making is a meditative and enjoyable way to exercise your creativity! Make this incense for working with the Queen of the Witches, the Goddess of liminal spaces, crossroads and sorcery.

To honor Hecate, burn this incense at a crossroads.

Hecate Ritual

A simple chant to invoke Hecate, goddess of the crossroads and Queen of the Night:

“Quiet is the night, Dark is the Moon I ask Hecate, the Crone To take Her throne. Sleep, sister, sleep, Be not alarmed, For the Great Goddess Keeps you from harm. Quiet is the night, Dark is the Moon I ask Hecate, the Crone To take Her throne. Sleep, brother sleep, Be not alarmed, For the Great Goddess Holds you in her arms. Quiet is the night Dark is the Moon. We honor Hecate the Crone Who has taken Her throne.”

In summary, Hecate is a goddess of guidance. She is a watchdog for those in need of her, keeping bad influences from crossing over a household boundary. Given her dominion over the underworld, the sea, the sky, the earth, as well as the fates of travelers (of whom we all are), Hecate is enjoying a newfound resurgence in reverence as people re-discover the immense power and protection that this goddess affords those that please her.

Invocations and Prayers

Goddess Hecate Spells

As a goddess of journeys, she oversees the transition from life to death, and, such as in the case of Persephone, from death back into life. Hecate’s torches illuminate the dark, signifying whether or not it is safe to venture through a given doorway or portal, as well as illuminating any strangers nearby.

Further Reading

Theoi.com, “Hecate“

Hekate Liminal Rites: A Study of the Rituals, Magic and Symbols by Sorita d’Este, David Rankine

Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction To Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft by Cyndi Brannen

[wildfallproject]

Campaign Summary's (1/4)

The following is a summary of a finished Campaign of D&D 5e which unfolded within Wildfall...

Wildfall Eclipse | 30 Sessions + Epilogue

Far into the Whitedrape wastes sits Vik, a city, like a pen, corralling the desperate northerners into the blackmarble mountainside. The common people forced to fend for themselves as the resources that were once abundant have long been consumed; exploited and destroyed by the fearful aristocrats of the Oikos Ward. The "prophetic, or godly tied" rulers, the Simirinov family, have placed the city into a draconic rule of law since the very start, using their Wardens as hounds against the common people below. Those outside of the ruling class have banded together within the snowed-in Favela's, founding a northern hospitality despite the Simirinov's violent presence. Faith, Promises and Punk-ish attitude are the only things that keep you alive in the dark north.

PC's (The Lichendogs)

Finn (Hadozee, Drunken Master Monk)

Lumen (Drow, Soulknife Rogue)

Juliette (Human, Wildfire Druid)

Melody (Half-Elf, Life Cleric)

Legacy (Humunculus, Clockwork Sorc/Creation Bard)

Thrown into the fray at the footsteps of a Hitao Stalf, towers dedicated to free heating for the misfortunate, the group were unwillingly pulled in the midst of a mass conspiracy. A Gang known as the Death Mistresses, A Pseudoscientist Wizard, the Royal Family, a Grand Conservatory, all working with or against something from the Otherside, a being able to pull on the strings of emotions and takeover the mind suddenly; the being? Legacy's previous Patron and Fey witch, Lene-Scarlett. Backstabbed by her Unwilling Coven in the Fey-reflection of Vik. Lene was severed from her body, having her mind unknowingly scattered to the Material plane, while her body endlessly rots in the Feywild. For a stretch of time she was satisfied twisting the emotions of the royal family and acting as a surrogate god to them, but now is severed from them aswell. The Old Queen Amelia's ritual managed to protect her and her children's mind from her twisting, but now Lene demands a new body again, turning her sights to someone more apt to her warping. Legacy, a body and mind without soul is her new target, and is happy to exact revenge on the ruling family and their city, who banished her again.

Fending off the twisted emotions of a rival gang leader under Lene's grasp and saving the city from near destruction, the group, now crowned The Lichendogs, turned to work tenuously with the Old Queen once again, both determined to finish this once and for all. However, with most of the group being those from the Favela's or Exurbs of the city, they were plenty familiar with the cruelty of the Simirinov line and kept her at a safe distance; only working together when necessary. Lumen and Juliette, a punk from the Favela's and a reactionary princess from the Oikos found something unique, something Lene could use against them, yes, but unique none the less, a young love. Finn and Melody reunited with their lost families, freeing them from prison or reconnecting after many years. Legacy found purpose, both as a unprecedented life in the World, but aswell a friend to all those that were damaged by Lene's torment. And Lene? though she is doomed to live until the near-very end of time, her mind is stuck in a endless dream within Legacy. Ultimately, getting what she wanted after all these years, but not the way she expected, the two are now one but she is not in the drivers seat.

#dungeons and dragons#dnd#dnd oc#dnd campaign#dnd5e#punk#gothic#feywild#fae#folk punk#folk#folk horror#drama#worldbuilding#fantasy#writing#creative writing

[dragmaballs]

About Aloisia

Aloisia Kallista Erkengard is a half-dragon bratty braggart whose current goal in life is to acquire henchmen. Unfortunately, she sucks at everything and is very dumb.

...but if you take her at her word, she's a creature of great power.

She's also probably older than 19 at this point (she doesn't know for sure), she just thinks the Jared meme is very funny.

...Really, that's all you need to know. The rest can be inferred from just talking to her or reading her posts. This is just here to document it, or provide information for the curious.

[ Find me elsewhere in the RP sphere at @in-inertia. ]

—

TTRPG Background

Okay, I do need to clear something up—Aloisia isn't actually a DnD character. She's only made with DnD concepts in mind in the most abstract ways possible, and she's not from any of the DnD settings.

Aloisia is a half-dragon from my own setting, Oikos, the Archipelago of the Ancients. You know, like the yogurt. Which...incidentally, is the setting of my TTRPG campaign On the Horizon. Those familiar with OTH, namely my players, might recognize there's a bit of a time difference between that campaign and the modern day. OTH is set on the eve of WWI. Which means Aloisia is from...after the campaign's end. At least, she's from a possible future for the campaign.

As I said, OTH isn't a DnD campaign (and there's neither Sorcerers nor a Charisma stat in OTH) but...shh! The setting is viable for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, so long as you can be flexible with your lore and make some changes to the spell lists (e.g. adjusting revival spells to only work on someone with Gentle Repose active on them, to mimic the lore mechanics).

I framed things the way I did because saying she's a Sorcerer is a lot more convenient than calling her an Enchanter and having to explain what that means.

—

Backstory

Left without a family at a young age, she was discovered by her "adoptive" "mother" Celestine Erkengard when digging through her trash for food. Celestine was a college student at the time, and didn't have the desire or readiness to raise a child of…approximately eight to ten years, but she took her in because there was no alternative.

I'll actually draw Celestine eventually. She still lives with Celestine, who takes care of her despite her being clearly capable of fending for herself. Celestine is still a single mother, despite now being in her early 30s, and part of that is because Aloisia slept with her most recent boyfriend. That's a good introduction to the kind of person Aloisia is. Aloisia is an irritable little tyrant, an annoying brat, and a gluttonous, greedy braggart who has nothing to actually show for all of her boasting. She acts like she's much smarter, stronger, wealthier, and overall more impressive than she actually is. The funny thing is, she does have some innate potential—her draconic blood allows her to be a very potent sorcerer. She just…hasn't actually done anything with that potential.

She doesn't know much about dragons, beyond that they're supposed to be deific creatures revered by all. And if she's basically a demigod, then people should be lining up to serve her. She learned pretty quick that asserting that to Celestine would get her a smack upside the head, but other people are surely to be less likely to react poorly.

—

More will come as I figure out more!

[deathlessathanasia]

„Demosthenes' remarks in this same speech indicate better than anything both the desire to establish a clear demarcation, or even a positive opposition, between the legitimate wife and the concubine, and at the same time the impossibility of so doing. Demosthenes declares: "The state of marriage consists in procreating children …” and he goes on to 'say, "We have courtesans for pleasure, concubines for one's day to-day needs and wives in order to have legitimate children by them and as the faithful guardians of the household goods."

It is a purely rhetorical distinction that has no meaning in terms of the existing institutions. Courtesans for pleasure - it is easy enough to see what Demosthenes means. Legitimate wives for the procreation of children - that is equally clear. But what about the pallake? How is one to understand this therapeia tou somatos that she is supposed to fulfill? In the Gorgias, Plato uses this expression to refer to gymnastics and medicine. This cannot be what Demosthenes means by it, and one gets the feeling that, in default of any valid definition of the concubine, he has chosen this formula precisely because it has no precise meaning. Furthermore, in his Against Aristocrates, he cites a law of Solon or Dracon' declaring that one has the right to kill a man caught in one's own house, "in flagrante delicto with one's wife (damar), mother, sister, daughter or with the pallake that one has taken for the purpose of procreating free children." The text of this law has been the subject of many commentaries. We will note three points from it. First, the pallake is put on the same level as the damar and all the other closely related women over whom the head of the family has full authority in his own oikos. Second, the pallake lives ,in one's house for the purpose of paidopoieisthai (having children), which was used just now to define the status of marriage. It is true that these children are not gnesioi, but neither are they defined as nothoi; they are referred to as eleutheroi, free. There is every reason to believe that, under Solon, unlike in the fifth century, children born from a marriage without engue, from a union which we would today describe as unofficial, had a status which did not radically exclude them from the anchisteia, or inheritance, or from the right to take part in the religious and political life of the city.”

- Myth and Society in Ancient Greece by Jean-Pierre Vernant

[legend-collection]

Hestia

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia is the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. In myth, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and one of the Twelve Olympians.

Pic by Christian Baitg on Getty Images

According to ancient Greek tradition, Hestia, along with four of her five siblings, was devoured by her own father Cronus as an infant due to his fear of being overthrown by one of his offspring, and was only freed when her youngest brother Zeus forced their father to disgorge the children he had eaten. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were cast down, and Hestia then became one of the Olympian gods, the new rulers of the cosmos, alongside her brothers and sisters. After the establishment of the new order and in spite of her status, Hestia withdraws from prominence in mythology, with few and sparse appearances in tales. Like Athena and Artemis, Hestia elected to never marry and remain an eternal virgin goddess instead, forever tending to the hearth of Olympus.

Despite her limited mythology, Hestia remained a very important goddess in ancient Greek society. Greek custom required that as the goddess of sacrificial fire, Hestia should receive the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum functioned as her official sanctuary. Whenever a new colony was established, a flame from Hestia's public hearth in the mother city would be carried to the new settlement. The goddess Vesta is her Roman equivalent.

Hestia's name means "hearth, fireplace, altar". This stems from the PIE root *wes, "burn" (ultimately from *h₂wes- "dwell, pass the night, stay"). It thus refers to the oikos: domestic life, home, household, house, or family. Burkert states that an "early form of the temple is the hearth house; the early temples at Dreros and Prinias on Crete are of this type as indeed is the temple of Apollo at Delphi which always had its inner hestia". The Mycenaean great hall (megaron), like Homer's hall of Odysseus at Ithaca, had a central hearth. Likewise, the hearth of the later Greek prytaneum was the community and government's ritual and secular focus. Hestia's naming thus makes her a personification of the hearth and its fire, a symbol of society and family, also denoting authority and kingship.

Hestia is a goddess of the first Olympian generation. She is the eldest daughter of the Titans Rhea and Cronus, and sister to Demeter, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, and Zeus. Immediately after their birth, Cronus swallowed all his children (Hestia was the first who was swallowed) except the last and youngest, Zeus, who was saved by Rhea. Instead, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings and led them into a war against their father and the other Titans. As "first to be devoured . . . and the last to be yielded up again", Hestia is thus both the eldest and youngest daughter; this mythic inversion is found in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (700 BC).

Zeus assigned Hestia a duty to feed and maintain the fires of the Olympian hearth with the fatty, combustible portions of animal sacrifices to the gods. Wherever food was cooked, or an offering was burnt, she thus had her share of honor; also, in all the temples of the gods, she has a share of honor. "Among all mortals, she was chief of the goddesses".

The gods Poseidon and Apollo (her brother and nephew respectively) both fell in love with Hestia and vied for her hand in marriage. But Hestia would have neither of them, and went to Zeus instead, and swore a great oath, that she would remain a virgin for all time and never marry. In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Aphrodite is described as having "no power" over Hestia.

At Athens, "in Plato's time," notes Kenneth Dorter "there was a discrepancy in the list of the twelve chief gods, as to whether Hestia or Dionysus was included with the other eleven. The altar to them at the agora, for example, included Hestia, but the east frieze of the Parthenon had Dionysus instead." However, the hearth was immovable, and "there is no story of Hestia's "ever having been removed from her fixed abode". Burkert remarks that "Since the hearth is immovable Hestia is unable to take part even in the procession of the gods, let alone the other antics of the Olympians".

Traditionally, Hestia is absent from ancient depictions of the Gigantomachy as she is the one who must keep the home fires burning when the other gods are away. Nevertheless, her possible participation in the fight against the Giants is evidenced from an inscription on the northern frieze of the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi; Brinkmann suggests that the letter tracings of one of the two goddesses right next to Hephaestus be restored as "Hestia", although other possible candidates include Demeter and Persephone, or two of the three Fates.

Her mythographic status as firstborn of Rhea and Cronus seems to justify the tradition in which a small offering is made to Hestia before any sacrifice ("Hestia comes first"), though this was not universal among the Greeks. In Odyssey 14, the loyal swineherd Eumaeus begins the feast for his master Odysseus by plucking tufts from a boar's head and throwing them into the fire with a prayer addressed to all the powers, then carved the meat into seven equal portions: "one he set aside, lifting up a prayer to the forest nymphs and Hermes, Maia's son."[20]

Hestia is identified with the hearth as a physical object, and the abstractions of community and domesticity, in contrast to the fire of the forge employed in blacksmithing and metalworking, the province of the god Hephaestus. Portrayals of her are rare and seldom secure.[21] In classical Greek art, she is occasionally depicted as a woman simply and modestly cloaked in a head veil. At times, she is shown with a staff in hand or by a large fire. She sits on a plain wooden throne with a white woolen cushion and, Robert Graves declares, "did not trouble to choose an emblem for herself". Her associated sacrificial animal was a domestic pig.

Her Roman equivalent is Vesta; Vesta has similar functions as a divine personification of Rome's "public", domestic, and colonial hearths, binding Romans together within a form of extended family. The similarity of names between Hestia and Vesta is, however, misleading: "The relationship hestia-histie-Vesta cannot be explained in terms of Indo-European linguistics; borrowings from a third language must also be involved," according to Walter Burkert. Herodotus equates Hestia with the high ranking Scythian deity Tabiti. Procopius equates her with the Zoroastrian holy fire (atar) of the Sasanians in Adhur Gushnasp. To Vesta is attributed one more story not found in Greek tradition by the Roman poet Ovid in his poem Fasti, where during a feast of the gods Vesta is nearly raped in her sleep by the god Priapus, and only avoids this fate when a donkey cries out, alerting Vesta and prompting the other gods to attack Priapus in defense of the goddess. This story is an almost word-for-word repeat of the myth of Priapus and Lotis, recounted earlier in the same book, with the difference that Lotis had to transform into a lotus tree to escape Priapus, making some scholars suggest the account where Vesta supplants Lotis only exists in order to create some cult drama.