Lights Out! Hekate’s Deipnon

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This week I discuss the relevance of the Dark Moon and how it is connected to my primary goddess, Hekate, so cue up “Lights Out” by Santigold and let’s dive in.

The Dark Moon has long been associated with the liminal goddess Hekate, a deity revered for her connection to the underworld, magic, and crossroads. In the heart of this esoteric realm lies the Deipnon, a ritual supper offered under the Dark Moon.

So what is the Dark Moon, aside from sounding moody? It is the waning crescent phase that precedes the New Moon, often referred to as the balsamic phase of the lunar cycle. In contrast to the New Moon, the Dark Moon is not a period for manifestation but rather a moment dedicated to contemplation.

The goddess Hekate holds sway over this shadowy lunation, extending beyond the boundaries of the earthly plane, reaching into the depths of the underworld and the heights of the heavenly realms. Devotees of Hekate view the Dark Moon as a liminal time when the veil between the worlds is thin and intuitive energies are heightened. During this phase, practitioners seek communion with Hekate, petitioning for the potent energies she governs as protection and guidance.

Central to the veneration of Hekate under the Dark Moon is the Deipnon, a sacred supper offered as a token of devotion. The ritual involves the preparation of a meal, often consisting of items such as pomegranates, garlic, onions, leeks, olives, bread, eggs, fish, meats, wine, and other offerings associated with the goddess. As the moon fades into obscurity, devotees gather in quiet reverence, setting their offerings at a crossroads, a symbolic junction where the mortal world intersects with the divine.

While the Deipnon unfolds, candles are extinguished one by one until darkness reigns supreme, a symbolic act mirroring the hidden nature of the Dark Moon. In this somber ambiance, practitioners connect with Hekate, seeking guidance, protection, and the wisdom she is known to provide.

However, when the lights are out, anything can go, right?! It is a time when the boundaries between the acceptable and the forbidden become blurred, but as we know, actions undertaken in the cloak of darkness are not exempt from consequences.

The Dark Moon beckons us to explore the recesses of our desires, fears, and ambitions. This inward look underscores the gravity of this exploration and provides an opportunity for contemplation and recalibration before the New Moon.

To see what needs to be evaluated, we must allow our eyes to adjust. This action mirrors the journey undertaken during the Dark Moon and the adoration of Hekate. And as we surrender to the swollen shadows, our vision becomes attuned to the subtle energies and mysteries that emerge in obscurity.

Much like the careful navigation of the unseen realms during the Dark Moon, this adjustment represents a symbolic shift from the glaring light of the mundane to the nuanced wisdom concealed in darkness. In the presence of Hekate, the keeper of the liminal, our eyes adapt to the dark and become a metaphor for embracing the unknown, seeking insight beyond the surface, and communing with the divine forces that thrive in the depths of shadow.

Devotees tread with reverence under the watchful gaze of Hekate, for they know in the hallowed darkness of the night that follows, Noumenia (the New Moon), blessings are sought, intentions are laid bare, and the consequences of one's actions echo across the weeks to come until they are reviewed under the radiant scrutiny of the Full Moon.

Mene!