A few things:
- In the writing of this draft, I am simplifying. All of the ideas I’ve had need to come together, now, into something fairly easy to remember and do.
- Alternate options are available for most things. This is my ritual widget, but please do feel free to change it up to suit you. Take a look through my documentation. There are lots of ideas for alternate names and gestures and other stuff to get you started.
- This is by no means a final draft. As of the time that I am writing this, the ritual widget has not been tested in the form which it is about to take.
- The Greek needs a decent scholar of ancient Greek to check it for me. I think it’s ok, though. ::shrug::
- Ritual widgets like this one are hard to understand in print. I am not going to do YouTube videos for the foreseeable future, unless I can find some people to help me with that. Seriously, if you do a YouTube video of this ritual, and link to me, I’ll love you forever. The more exposure this gets, the more eyeballs there will be to catch simple mistakes I may have missed.
To review:
- This ritual references the mythology of Hermes and Hekate as it pertains to the Crossroads.
- This ritual is to be used only in circumstances where an actual three-way crossroads is not available
- Once this ritual has been cast, the way to all places in the Greek Cosmology should be accessible
- This ritual is a good way to prepare for spell work or for any religious ceremony calling for a crossroads
The Ritual of the Crossroads
Preparation
Materials:
- A bowl of water
- Salt
- A lighter
- Sage bundle or incense
- 7 stones
- A wand
- A dagger
- Optional: altars set in the six directions and center. Please refer to the diagram below.
Set Up
- Place a stone in each of the six stations and the center.
- Tuck a wand and a dagger into your belt
Preliminary Purifications
- Put salt into the bowl of water
- Extinguish fire into the bowl (sage bundle or incense)
- Wash hands and face
- Circle the space with the bowl
- Set the water outside the ritual space
The Prayer of the Crossroads
Pointing to the Center with the dagger and either say or incant:
“Xaire Hekate, Enodia
Xaire Hermes, Hodoiporos
Autes He Triodos”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the East with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Athanatois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the South-East with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Ouranois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the South-West with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Prosgeiois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the West with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Geia kai Hadei”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the North-West with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Stugi”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the North-East with the dagger, and back to the center, say or incant:
“Hodos Pontois”
Pointing to the Center with the dagger, say or incant:
“Enosoun se autes He Triodos
Xaire Hekate, Phulax
Xaire Hermes, Hodoiphanes”
The Names and Images of Hekate
Face East. Hold your hands palm up, shoulder’s width apart toward the station. Say or incant:
“Hekate Lampadephoros”
Face South East. Form a triangle with your hands, palms toward the station. Push toward the station as your formulate this image:
Say or incant, with arms still extended:
“Hekate Ourania”
Then, break the hands apart and open the arms, symbolizing the opening of a gate.
Face South West. Hold your hands palm up, shoulder’s width apart toward the station. Say or incant:
“Hekate Nuktepolos”
Face West. Form a triangle with your hands, palms toward the station. Push toward the station as your formulate this image:
Say or incant, with arms still extended:
“Hekate Aidonaia”
Then, break the hands apart and open the arms, symbolizing the opening of a gate.
Face North West. Hold your hands palm up, shoulder’s width apart toward the station. Say or incant:
“Hekate Melinoe”
Face North East. Form a triangle with your hands, palms toward the station. Push toward the station as your formulate this image.
Say or incant, with arms still extended:
“Hekate Einalia”
Then, break the hands apart and open the arms, symbolizing the opening of a gate.
Face East. Hold your hands palm up, shoulder’s width apart toward the station. Lay your hands upon the stone in the center.
Imagine the forms of Hekate extending their arms, so as to touch their torches together, completing the circle with fire.
Say Strongly:
“Hekate Trimorphis!”
The Stones and the Names of Hermes
During your set up, you put a stone at each of the six stations surrounding the center. Now, you are going to collect those same stones and deposit them in the center to build a Herm.
Walk to the East and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Arkhos Pheleteon
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the South-East and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Angelos
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the South-West and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Argeiphontes
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the West and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Khrusorrapis
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the North-West and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Psychopompos
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the North-East and pick up the stone between the thumb and forefinger. Say or Incant to the Stone:
Hermes Dolios
Walk back to the center, and deposit the stone.
Walk to the East, around the perimeter of the circle, ending in the East, then walk Back to the Center. Stand in front of the Herm. With arms hanging loosely in front of you, let the fingertips of the right hand rest atop the fingertips of the left hand, and let the thumbs lightly touch.
Say Strongly:
“Hermes Trikephalos!”
The Prayer of the Crossroads
Touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Xaire Hekate, Enodia
Xaire Hermes, Hodoiporos
Autes He Triodos”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the East with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Athanatois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the South-East with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Ouranois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the South-West with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Prosgeiois”
Drawing a line of light from the center to the West with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Geia kai Hadei”
Drawing a line of light from the Herm to the North-West with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Stugi”
Drawing a line of light from the Herm to the North-East with the wand, and touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Hodos Pontois”
Touching the wand to the Herm, say or incant:
“Enosoun se autes He Triodos
Xaire Hekate, Phulax
Xaire Hermes, Hodoiphanes”
There are wonderful tales of crossroads collected by the Grimm Brothers. Whenever you come to a crossroads, have your wits about you! .
I’m a big fan of the Brothers Grimm. I think the ancient Greek view of the crossroads may differ slightly, however, from the German one. In both cultures, crossroads are liminal. How could they not be? But in the Greek worldview, they are owned by liminal deities known to protect travelers.
Phallic deities, like Hermes, had their images erected (no pun intended) in places as a warning to spirits or humans who might decide to transgress boundaries without permission. Hekate’s dogs and firebrands, likewise, are meant as a fearsome warning to any who would attempt something untoward in those places which exist in neither one town nor another.
But yes, hopefully, a ritual like this one shakes up the ordinary rules. 🙂 We’ll see!