Rebirth Through Darkness: Dark Moon Ritual of Hecate
By Trece, Sibylline Priest

Purpose
To release yourself to the darkness that has descended upon your life and call upon Hecate to lead you forward and gift you with wisdom and rebirth.

Supplies

• representation of the four elements
• a scrying mirror, bowl of black water, or a cauldron filled with water
• a purple candle to represent spiritual wisdom and the Goddess Hecate
• myrrh resin, mugwort, and dragon’s blood incense combination
• patchouli oil
• a large cloth or blanket that will be used to cover yourself- it may be black to correspond to the dark moon
• Other supplies may be added according to preference.

Timing
To be performed During the dark moon; further timing correspondences could include the dark moon in Scorpio, performing the ritual at midnight, performing the ritual on a Monday or a Saturday, utilizing the planetary hours of the moon and Saturn, and performing the ritual on or around Samhain, or simply when the sun is in Scorpio.

Preparation

• Smudge yourself, the area, and the altar with sage and cedar, and take a purifying bath or shower if desired.
• Anoint yourself with the patchouli oil after the purification on your pulse points.

Ritual

Create sacred space and cast circle using the Sibylline Circle Casting and Consecration of the Elements.

Add a little incense to keep the censor smoking.

Conjure the mirror, bowl of water, or cauldron to be a window between the Worlds using your favorite method or by simply intending that it will be the function of this tool and passing it through the incense smoke.

Cleanse, bless, and consecrate the purple candle to Hecate and spiritual wisdom.

Light the candle and hold it aloft and invoke Hecate:

Invocation to Hecate:
Dark Goddess of the Crossroads, Hecate, TriVia, She who illuminates the Underworld paths with Her burning torch of inner wisdom. I, your Witch and child, do invoke thee to guide me through the mysteries of life, and the Darkness that weighs upon my heart and soul. On this night of the dark moon, when the black orb sails between the Worlds, liberate me from bondage as I meet the Darkness face to face!

Once you feel the presence of the Dark Goddess, set the candle on the altar behind the scrying tool and sit cross legged on the floor.

Cover yourself from head to toe in the cloth or blanket, ensuring that as little light as possible can come through. Allow yourself to descend into your painful emotions, situations, thoughts, and anything else that has been draining, depleting, and limiting you.

Resist and question nothing. Feel the Goddess guiding you into this Darkness, succumbing to your experiences now. Cry, shake, moan, and take yourself to those places within that you most fear. Hecate is with you, and will protect you, but the experience will still be intense. When you feel as though you have completely descended into the Darkness and all of your pain and fear have surfaced, say:

I sit within the depths of Darkness, in the presence of my fear, pain, and rage. I claim them as my allies, the Teachers that move me to wisdom. I face now the Goddess of Death who consumes all and spares none. Yet She is Also the Goddess of Rebirth who liberates by destroying that which binds, and tears away all that hinders. As I ascend through rebirth, by the grace of the Dark Goddess, I ask for a message from between the Worlds that shall guide me on my path, and a symbol of power that shall be an ally in conquering that which I must.

Slowly remove the blanket or cloth, come onto your knees, and gaze within the scrying tool; the dark mirror of the moon. Allow images, feelings, words, and symbols to arise from the depths of the tool, and remain open to the guidance of Hecate.

When you feel as though you have received the guidance you need and the symbol of power, come to standing and again hold the candle aloft.

Thanking Hecate:
Hecate! Dark Goddess of Death and Rebirth, You have guided me through the Darkness and shattered the illusions that rendered me impotent. I have allied with that which lies in my Shadow, and have been given the power to overcome. Through the womb of the Underworld, I have been liberated and reborn. I honor and thank thee.

Place the candle back on the altar and extinguish it. Thank the Quarters and open the circle. If you used a mirror as your scrying tool, wrap it in black silk and put it away from curious eyes or the light of the sun. If you used a bowl of water or a cauldron, empty the contents onto the ground outside and either keep the bowl or cauldron for future scrying, or purify it later so it may be used for something else. Eat hardy bread, drink lots of water, and write in your Book of Shadows about the ritual and what was experienced. Be sure to record your guidance from Hecate, and the symbol of power. Give yourself time to recover, and readjust.

All rights reserved unless otherwise stated. Permission required for reproduction. Copyright 2006.
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