Tag Archives: Hecate

January Esoteric Holidays

Goddess Hecate Hekate Isis
Hecate or Hekate

Jan 1 – Jan 31 January/Janus – Dedicated to Old Roman God-Goddess Janus – Jana, who knows both past and future.

Jan 2 thru 3 Feast of Old Greek Goddess Hekate / Hecate– who guides all through transitions and crisis.

Jan 3 or 4 Earth Perihelion – when the Earth is closest to the Sun. (It is farthest from the sun on the 4th of July). Peri means near, and Helion is for Helios, the sun god. The sun god is closest to us on this day, thus it is his “birth” day. We kind of have a sun-god / Light of the World birth “week”, or “season” every year this time, if you haven’t noticed, thanks to all the Festivals of Lights, Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas all based on the Winter Solstice of Dec. 21 and the Perihelion on Jan 3 or 4.  In 2015 the perihelion occurs at exactly: January 4, 2015 at 6:36 UTC (01:36 EST)

In January 2015, the full moon occurs on January 4. Most charts will tell you the moon is in Cancer when it goes full this month, but if you were to look in the sky you would see it’s actually physically located in front of the constellation Taurus, not Cancer.  (Our Mystery School always uses Sidereal measurements, based on the literal star constellations)

Jan 6  Original Christmas Day.  Now January 6 is called Epiphany in the mainstream church, with January 5 being Epiphany Eve. In the original Church for the first 325 years of Christianity, January 6 was celebrated as Jesus / Yeshua’s birthday. Then Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, followed a few years later by making it the official state religion of Rome. He couldn’t resist moving Yeshua’s birthday to his own god, Sol Invictus’ birthday. That was Dec. 25 on the Roman Calendar, which was the Winter Solstice back then, now  in our modern calendar taking place on Dec. 21. Many early Kristian churches continued to celebrate Jan 6 as Yeshua’s birthday up into the 600’s AD even though Constantine had changed the date. Some rare Christian sects still celebrate Jan 6, calling it “Old Christmas”.

 

November 12 – 24 Alternative Holidays, Diana, Hecate, Weyland

Goddess Mystery School Deanic Holidays
Diana Artemis Goddess of the Hunt

Nov 13 Festival of Jupiter – Roman deity associated with rain and agriculture, prime protector of the state, and concerned with all aspects of life.

Roman Fontinalia – Feast of Fons, God of Springs.

Nov 14 Feast of Musicians and Bards – Druid celebration of the Celtic musical arts.

Nov 16 – Night of Hecate, Greek Goddess of the Hags or Wisewomen, (later called Witches), her name comes from Heqa-ma’at, a goddess in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead who later became Hekmah or Hokmah (also spelled Chokmah) meaning wisdom in the ancient Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).  From Heqa-ma’at / Hecate / Hokmah we get the Greek word for wisewoman or holywoman, “hag”.  Hecate was goddess of the hags and it was a very complementary thing to be a hag of the Hagia Sophia tradition!

Nov 20 – Day of All Gnostic Saints (see http://www.gnosis.org/ecclesia/cal_mandala.htm for explanation)

Nov 22 – Festival of Diana aka Artemis – Roman Goddess of Moon, Hunt, Wilderness, Birth (pictured above right)
– Feast of Weyland – Norse God of the Smiths aka Volund

Nov 24 – Feast of the Burning Lamps, Egyptian festival
– Celtic Tree Month of Reed ends – Tree Month of Elder begins