I love cheese and mythology and this connection is very interesting whether it’s ultimately proven irrelevant or not. Thank you for chatting about fantastical things with me @blondie.blondie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2024 4:35 pm THE TREE MASK WOMAN/WOOD WITCH AND THE RITUAL
Posting on behalf of both myself and @Wanda102 as we just had a very interesting conversation… might be red strings, might be cheese holes, but no harm in sharing. @Wanda102 is very much the go to gal about myths, I’m your witch bitch. Go team!
HECATE/HEKATE
The goddess of magic, witchcraft, necromancy, life and death, crossroads… and doorways. Her name roughly translates to “Influence from afar”. She has been portrayed in a variety of ways: a seductive maiden, a wise old crone, and a three-headed woman looking in three directions at a crossroads- past, present, and future. She carries a torch for illumination, a dagger for cutting through illusion, and a key that can unlock any door we truly wish to enter. She is often accompanied by snakes (and black cats).
CONNECTION TO LAMIA
“Hecate – The goddess of magic and witchcraft was often said to be Lamia herself or a close relative. As the Lamia became more associated with magic and witches this connection became more common.”
“Later authors describe the Lamiai as ghosts (phasma) which used illusion to seduce young men. They were companions of the goddess Hekate which followed her to earth from the depths of the underworld.”
“Later versions of the Lamia myth (also) refer to her as Hecate’s consort or daughter.”
RITUALS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THREE
Moving past all 3s with Hekate, 3 is also an important part of ritual magic.
The central philosophy of Thelema (founded by Aleister Crowley) is contained in two phrases from The Book of the Law: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" and "Love is the law, love under will." The two primary terms in these statements are "Will" and "Love", respectively. In the Greek language, they are Thelema (Will) and Agape (Love). Using the Greek technique of isopsephy, which applies a numerical value to each letter, the letters of each of these words add up to 93:
Thelema: Θελημα = 9 + 5 + 30 + 8 + 40 + 1 = 93 Agapé: Αγαπη = 1 + 3 + 1 + 80 + 8 = 93
They shorten all of this into a greeting: “93… love and will”.
In terms of the placing of papers into one of THREE buckets, magic practitioners often write intentions or sigils onto paper and place them into a receptacle before burning, which releases the contents into the universe. If the marks are made in blood, this is considered even more of an offering, adding power to the intention.
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If I have missed anything, @Wanda102 will add I’m sure.
And to wit - our Woods Witch did technically offer three _Paths to our KC brothers and sisters. Three buckets, three crossroads, three doors.
I was glad we had people choose multiple options so we could compare reactions and I was a little surprised that there seemed to be a “right” one, putting what’s important to us out in the universe. I was expecting more of a broad scoff at the guests for assuming anything could be correct and pleased that this was not the case.
That known - and maybe the answer is obvious but I’d like to hear thoughts - what’s the significance of this being the same woman from the Exiled trailer, and why was the “universe” path the “right” one?