The Rite of Her Sacred Fires
The Rite of Her Sacred Fires is a unique international devotional celebration of the mysteries and magic of the Goddess Hekate. It was born out of the Hekate Her Sacred Fires anthology project and written by Sorita d’Este who offered it as an act of devotion for all who wished to participate in May 2010. The first year saw the Rite of Her Sacred Fires translated into numerous languages with several thousand people from around the world participating by doing the ritual on the Full Moon that month. Since then the Rite has become a yearly event in May and has now been translated into 25+ languages and is facilitated each year by a team from the Covenant of Hekate who dedicate their time, energy and knowledge to ensure that the necessary information is available for others to join in and that resources are available for individuals to learn about it and how to do it, please check in with The Rite of Her Sacred Fires on Facebook (open to all, you don't have to be a member of the Covenant of Hekate)
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Below is a video created by the Keybearer of the Sanctuary of Hekate Polymorphos Kenn Payne that outlines the rite.
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Explore the following pages which will contain all the information you need to join in and to find out more and others who are doing the Rite this year.
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Ephesian Letters
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The Rite of Her Sacred Fires include the use of the “Ephesian Letters” and a number of people have asked about this so I decided to put together the following for those unfamiliar with its use. I hope that it explains its inclusion in the rite.
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“Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.”
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One of the oldest and most significant sets of voces magicae (a term used for magical words of unknown meaning and origin) was the Ephesian Letters or Characters, a group of six words. These words were askion, kataskion, lix, tetrax, damnameneus and aision (or aisia). We cannot be absolutely certain whether the Ephesian Letters were specifically connected with Hekate, though from the evidence it does seem likely. Their first known appearance was in a Mycenaean inscription from the fifth century BCE.
The Ephesian Letters occur a number of times in the Greek Magical Papyri in charms which call on Hekate (Betz, 1996). Thus the first two of the Ephesian Letters were used in a Hekate charm associated with initiation (PGM LXX.12) as part of a string of voces magicae being:
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“Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.”
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The fifth word, damnameneia, was used in the Bear Charm, which included reference to Hekate as Brimo (PGM VII. 686-702). A second-third century CE lead defixione tablet to Hekate as torch bearer of the crossroads also uses this word repeatedly (SM 49) (Betz, 1996).
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An early fragmentary protective charm on a lead tablet from Phalasarna on Crete included the Ephesian Letters with phrases indicative of Hekate like ‘She-wolf’. It is also interesting to note that they are called the Orphic Formula in the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM VII. 451) (Betz, 1996). Considering the connections between Hekate and the Orphic Mysteries this is another hint which suggests a specific ritual connection with Hekate and these words.
The Ephesian Letters were also referred to by the Greek poet Anaxilas in his lost 4th century BCE play The Harp Maker when he wrote “[unnamed person] carries around marvellous Ephesian letters in sewn pouches.” Various qualities were attributed to the Ephesian Letters including endowing the wearer with great power (particularly wrestlers as described in Eustathius, Photius and the Suda) and protecting newly married couples (mentioned by Menander, fragment 371).
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It should also be noted that when Plutarch commented on the powers of the Ephesian Letters (Moralia 706E), he referred to daimones who were specifically under the rule of Hekate:
“For just as sorcerers advise those possessed by daimones to recite and name over to themselves the Ephesian letters.”
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The Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria, who was well known for being the teacher of the theologian Origen, recorded suggested meanings for the Ephesian Letters in his work Stromata (Miscellanies) in the early 3rd century CE:
“Androkydes the Pythagorean, indeed, says that the so-called Ephesian letters, which were well-known among many, were of the order of symbols. And he said that Askion is darkness, for this has no shadow; and Kataskion is light, since it casts a shadow with its rays; and Lix is the earth, according to the ancient name; and Tetrax is the year, according to the seasons; and Damnameneus is the sun, the tamer; and Aisia is the true word. And truly the symbol signifies that the divine things have been set in order: darkness to light, the sun to the year, the earth to every kind of genesis of nature.”
(d’Este & Rankine, 2009, pg 65-69)
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Returning to the words used in the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, “Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne” as voces magicae we cannot know for certain what they meant or when they were used, but we can draw together likely speculations. From Clement of Alexandria we can see that the phrase starts with Askei Kataskei which could mean ‘darkness, light’. Mega in Greek means ‘great’, and it has been suggested that Baui may refer to the barking of a dog (Betz 1996, pg 297, fn.7). All of these speculations hint at Hekate’s associations with both darkness and light, greatness and dogs. As such it is possible that this phrase was a coded sequence which called on Hekate’s powers.
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Today the Ephesian letters continue to be used in rites honouring Hekate. I have been using it for many years in the form of chanting and honouring Hekate, much like the pujas found in spiritual traditions such as Hinduism. It is being used to honour Her, but also to protect and empower magical rites.
References:
Betz, H-D, ed. 1996. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
d’Este, S. and Rankine, D. 2009. Hekate: Liminal Rites. London: Avalonia.
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Rite of Her Sacred Fires 2023
Take a look at our participants altar pictures for this years event.