Hesiod on Hecate

"Asteria of happy name, whom Perses once led to his great house to be called his dear wife. And she conceived and bare Hekate whom Zeus the son of Kronos honoured above all. 

He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods. 

For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favour according to custom, he calls upon Hekate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favourably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. 

For as many as were born of Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Heaven) [the Titanes] amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Kronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her. 

Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. 

Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents.

And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hekate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker [Poseidon], easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. 

She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So, then. albeit her mother's only child, she is honoured amongst all the deathless gods. 

And the son of Kronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Eos (Dawn). So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young (kourotrophos), and these are her honours." - Hesiod, Theogony 404

Hecate's antiseptic (Vinegar of the Four Thieves)

Thought this might be of interest ... There are many variations on both the legend of the four thieves and the recipe for their vinegar, but briefly, and as it was told to me, the story surrounds four French men who plundered the homes of plague victims around Marseille in the 1600’s and yet remained unaffected by the plague themselves. They were captured and, as the penalty for looting was death, they bargained for their lives by offering the magistrate the recipe for their vinegar.  It is said that he happily accepted their offer and that they were spared. It occurred to me that there was more than a hint of Hecate about this particular recipe... 
so here it is...

Vinegar of the Four Thieves 

(A useful protection against disease and magical attack since the 1630’s)

You can take this remedy a teaspoon at a time, add it to salad dressings, use a splash in your bathwater or dilute a little in a spray bottle to help clear a space.

You will need:

A large container with a lid (Kilner jar is good)

Ingredients:

2 tbs. of garlic roughly chopped

A handful of each of lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme, rue and wormwood 

Enough cider vinegar to cover the herbs

Method

1.      Roughly chop all the herbs if fresh

2.     Place all plant material in the jar

3.     Cover with vinegar with about three fingers of vinegar over the top of the plant materials

4.    Fasten tightly

5.     Stand somewhere warm for about a month and shake often

6.     Strain and bottle.  

News of Herbal seminar

Equinox inipi and new moon approaching..

So the vernal equinox is tomorrow morning 20th March 2012 at 5:14 am when the sun moves in to 0 degrees Aries. The new moon is on thursday 22nd of March at 2:37 p.m... 

time to walk that dog in the woods methinks... 

and then inipi weekend at Ashlodge... could life be any sweeter? 

Lavender...

Lavender

lavendula augustafolia(formerly lavendula officinalis) 

Lavender is under the dominion of the planet Mercury, which presides over communication, the mind and the nervous system. Plants under the rule of mercury are often very ethereal with slender stems and feathery leaves and lavender is a good example of this. In 1647 W. Lilly in his Christian Astrology, reported that Mercurial herbs: ‘have principle relation to the tongue or brain, lungs and memory; they dispell winde and comfort the animal spirits, and open obstructions.’ All these qualities are in fact, present in lavender although the language used by Lilly seems rather archaic.

Lavender has been in use since the earliest times and it is mentioned in the regimen sanitatis Salernitanum (c 12-13^th C) a book of writings about the care of the body, which reports that: “Sage, castoreum, lavender, primrose, Nasturtium, and athanasia cure paralytic parts of the body”.

During the twelfth century, washerwomen were ordinarily known in the north as Lavenderesses, from whence comes our name Laundress. It appears that the title was not gender specific as a ‘Lavender man’ is mentioned in the black book of Edward IV (1442 – 1483). This entry confirms lavender’s enduring association with cleanliness as the lavender man in question was authorised to collect from the stores ‘enough soap for the King’s personal use’.

Lavender appears as a sign of homely hygiene in Izack Walton's Compleat Angler (1653) it says: ‘I'll now lead you, to an honest ale-house, where we shall find a cleanly room, Lavender in the window, and twenty ballads stuck about the wall’.

Lavender is mixed with balm, violets, yarrow and rose petals in love potions and is one of the herbs that may be worn in an amulet to attract the love of a man.

Lavender is also one of the herbs connected to the goddess Hecate who is patroness to witches and sorcerers and also to her daughters Medea and Circe. It is said that an amulet of lavender will avert the evil eye.

In the 17^th century lavender was included in nosegays to prevent the plague and to this end it was also included in the vinegar of the four thieves (see recipe section).  

Mrs Grieve reports that during the Second World War the French Academy of Medicine used the oil for swabbing wounds and other antiseptic purposes. However, recent research has shown the antiseptic qualities of lavender to be rather low and variable from batch to batch. So if it’s antiseptic you want you would be better off looking at Cayenne, Echinacea or Garlic.

Parts used: the flowers

Gathering: the flowers should be collected just before they open between June and September.

Actions:

Anti-depressant

Anti-spasmodic

Carminative

Rubefacient.

Indications: A beautiful herb which has many uses in food, cosmetics and general well being. Lavender has been used since time out of mind for cases of nausea, indigestion and flatulence.

In cases of faintness lavender can be used instead of smelling salts.

This herb will help strengthen the nervous system it is therefore recommended for nervous exhaustion and debility and it is very effective for stress related headaches. Lavender should not be overlooked when treating the symptoms of low mood because it is a gentle tonic for the nerves.

A lavender bath at night followed by a cup of lavender tea works wonders in cases of insomnia especially when caused by stress.

The essential oil has many external uses: mixed with honey it is an excellent treatment for burns after initial first aid with cold water and I have personally witnessed on several occasions a single drop of neat lavender oil in the ear cure a really nasty earache.

A drop of lavender oil neat on the skin is advised at the first sign of spots or pimples.

Lavender oil it is also useful as a component in a liniment for the treatment of rheumatic aches and pains the recipe for which is in the how to section. The essential oil is often added to disagreeable herbal ointments to improve their scent and also because of its long-standing reputation as an analgesic agent. 

Preparation and dosage: infusion: add a cup of boiling water to a teaspoon of dried herb or two teaspoons of fresh herb and infuse for 10 minutes. Drink a cupful 3 times a day.

The oil can be rubbed on the skin, inhaled or used in baths. For perineal discomfort following childbirth 10 drops of lavender oil can be added to a sitz bath, which can be taken when necessary.

Best Mind the Dog

I've found this in the Argonautia written by Apollonius Rhodius sometime between 296 and 260 B.C.   


"There is a maiden, nurtured in the halls of Aeetes, whom the goddess Hecate taught to handle magic herbs with exceeding skill"


It seems that her herbal roots go way back then... 


And now I'm making connections between a three headed goddess and a three headed dog

Hecate Heal All...

Garlic honey... Strange combo but thinking about it.. garlic's antibiotic, anti-parasitic and anti fungal (and sometimes anti-social) properties combined with the antiseptic qualities of honey makes this potion one for every green medicine chest. This is a great preventative tonic and it will also work as a treatment for any coughs, colds, sinus problems, cuts and grazes.  

Ingredients

2 whole heads of garlic (as fat and organic as possible)

450gm/1pound best organic (or Manuka x10 honey

Method

1.      Peel and crush the garlic either in a mortar and pestle or stick them in a blender/food processer and give a couple of ‘pulse’ whizzes.

2.     Add two tablespoons of honey and either continue to pound (or wiz some more in the old blender) until the garlic is completely transparent

3.     Add the remaining honey and make sure to mix well

4.    Pour the garlic honey into a jar and label including the date and dosage instructions. 

Dosage:

As a tonic or preventative: ½ teaspoon daily

As a remedy: ½ teaspoon 3xdaily or if acute 6xdaily

Take directly from the spoon or dilute the honey in lemon and hot water or with fruit vinegar

Apply directly to the skin for bites, grazes and wounds

for infants rub the honey on the soles of the feet