Reclaiming Our History: Agnodice and the Oldest Profession
This is the legendary Agnodice, an Athenian midwife so successful that doctors tried to throw her in prison.
An Image of Agnodice
Roman author Gaius Julius Hyginus told Agnodice’s story in Fabulae, where we learn that Agnodice studies medicine under the famous physician Herophilus. Today, we use Agnodice’s story in discussions of women in medicine, in part because Agnodice is the reason the laws in Athens were changed to allow women to practice medicine.
Ancient Athens suffered from its share of cultural failings; one of which was the law that women were not permitted to practice medicine. Of course, we know that gendered laws have never stopped a determined woman. Enter Agnodice, the midwife obstetrix so successful that other Anthenian doctors tried her in court.
Because of course they did.
Anthenian Law and Droves of Deaths
Agnodice, an Athenian native woman, believed it was her life calling to practice midwifery and other medicines. However, as Athenian law prevented women from practicing formally, Agnodice did what all women in these stories do: she cut her hair short, dressed as a man, and found tutelage under a master – in her case, Herophilus in Alexandria, a Greek physician considered one of the earliest anatomists of the human body.
Trained as a physician, Agnodice focused her efforts on women in labor, who were frequently too embarrassed or afraid to consult for medical help at all. Her style of treatment put her fellow women at ease, even when her patients were unaware she was a woman. However, in some cases, it is recorded that Agnodice would reveal her sex in secret to her patients, in hope that they would allow her to treat them. As far as it’s told, this practice worked; and Agnodice saved many lives, as the death rate for birthing women in Greece was extremely high.
We briefly discussed this during The Old Gods: Hekate this past November. Some will remember discussions around Hekate’s influence as the tendon or connection between life and death, and therefore birth: We must remember that childbirth in historical humanity, while a moment of joyful life-bringing, also frequently resulted in one or more deaths. Women in Antiquity writes that “This was due partially to a lack of understanding about the female body, leading to societal assumptions about pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the use of potentially dangerous herbs.” Death in childbirth of either the mother, the child, or both, was so common that goddesses associated with childbirth were often also associated with death and the underworld, and goddesses of childbirth and labor, such as Ilithyia, daughter of Zeus and Hera, were expected equally likely to kill the child as they were to allow the child to be birthed into the world.
Women Loved Agnodice, So Men Feared Her
However, Agnodice’s success and popularity were envied greatly by other Athenian doctors and the husbands of her patients. The envious took Agnodice to trail before the Areopagus, where they accused her of seducing patients. Presumably, this is the only idea they could muster.
It was at this trial that Agnodice revealed that the most successful obstetrix in Athens was a woman. To prove that she had not been seducing female patients, Agnodice lifted her skirt to bare herself in a movement called anasyrma and cried, “But I am not a man! Now do you think I am seducing your wives?”
Given that birth is specifically unsexy, probably not.
Of course, this caused an outroar in Athens. Agnodice was immediately charged with breaking Athenian law for practicing medicine as a woman, regardless of the lives she had saved. However, as the story often does when women come together, this story has a happy ending.
The wives of powerful men in Athens rose up in equal outcry, holding their healthy children to their breasts and at their skirts, and demanded that Agnodice be released. They argued that it was thanks to Agnodice, regardless of her sex, that Athens still had its wives and its children. These wives of Athens stood by Agnodice in furious charge, and in doing so, shifted Agnodice’s fate. She was released.
Agnodice’s success, and the support of the patients who rose to protect her, changed Athenian culture so greatly that the laws forbidding women to practice medicine in Athens were formally lifted after this trial. Agnodice couldn’t fight Athenian law herself; the wives of the men in Athens couldn’t change their husbands without a figurehead. Together, the women of Athens tore this prejudice apart.
Midwifery is the Oldest Profession
Why on earth would the oldest profession be prostitution? Don’t people need to exist before they can be abused?
Now, were there midwives in Athens before Agnodice? Yes, of course there were; but they were not authorized by Athenian law to call themselves doctors, no matter how essential their work. It is generally believed by historians such as Kate Mead, 1938, that this is because men feared they would perform necessary abortions.
“In Ancient Athens, and in America today, it is permittable to allow women and children to die. ”
Agnodice knew the risks. She knew she could be tried or simply killed for practicing medicine, but she felt a calling, and she followed despite the dangers. Today, across the world, we must bear in mind the dangers our doctors face when they follow their callings to save our lives. And likewise, we must remember Agnodice, and when called to protect the figureheads who stand for our rights, we must offer our support and protection.
But Still, She Persisted.
Get Involved
Agnodice’s work as a midwife changed Athenian culture, and from her determination and the power of the women who supported her, her story lays the groundwork for our bravery today. Support other Agnodices, and yourself, by getting involved in the following organizations:
The Satanic Temple has just recently opened its second telehealth abortion clinic, which offers abortion help and services free of charge. The Satanic Temple’s clinics are the world’s first religious abortion clinics, and offer the lowest-cost services in their surrounding areas. If you or someone you know is in need of help or information, find it here.
The Lilith Fund provides financial and emotional support to Texan and southern women who are forced to travel across state lines for care. Volunteers can battle misinformation, provide travel and transit, donate to help women and girls who can’t rely on their families for financial support, and more, here.
MSI Afghanistan is an American-based organization which provides services to women in Afghanistan, who cannot access services provided by male providers, and are not allowed to leave home without a male escort. MSI Afghanistan has built a team of female providers who deliver services to women in their own homes, and prevented over 100,000 unsafe abortion attempts in 2023. This service is more serious now than ever. Donate here.
Thanks for Reading
Remember:
An ideology only panics when it knows it’s dying.
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Follow Alice on social media so you never miss an event or an update - or, join the Red Veil Lounge to chat directly or join an event!
Reclaiming Our History: Arundhati Roy, and How Women Affect Leadership
Meet Arundhati Roy, a ‘shrill’ and ‘hysterical’ voice championing for the betterment of global human rights.
Aruhdhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things (1997).
Arundhati Roy, born November 24th, 1961, is known globally for her bold political advocacy and demands for social action, from her support for Kashmiri separatism, to her disputes of US foreign policy statements, to her criticism of the Sri Lankan government. Roy’s voice and writing, both fiction and non-fiction, has won numerous awards and recognitions, and her direct tone never shies from harsh or painful truths. Her work in social justice has paved precedent for arguments supporting women’s rights, alter-globalization, and environmental justice.
Roy’s Writings
Her book, The God of Small Things (1997), a fictional drama commentary on the “Love Laws” prevalent in India in the 1960s, received the Booker Prize of Fiction in the year of its release. Her second fiction, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, followed in 2017.
Both of her fictions take place in India, and explore how casteism, land reform, and other historically influential events - such as the Kashmir insurgency and the Godhra train burning - affect a gambit of characters from varied life stories. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness received the 2017 Hindu Literary Prize shortlist honor and the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award finalist honor.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is available here for purchase.
Roy has published 20 non-fiction writings, including The Algebra of Infinite Justice (2001), a collection of essays over a wide range of political issues, including political response to India’s nuclear bomb testing, the influence of foreign companies on poorer countries’ political policies, and the war on terror in India.
The Shape of the Beast (2008), boasts a fascinating compilation of interviews by Roy, conducted between January 2001 and March 2008, in which Roy speaks about many prevailing social and political issues in India, such as the genocide in Gujarat, her public remarks around occupied Kashmir, and American Imperialism.
Listening to Grasshoppers (2009), a similar collection of essays, received polarized critical reviews, which highlight the fine line political activists are demanded to walk: the line between extreme moralizing and dutiful reporting.
Walking the Line
The Financial Times wrote in review of Listening to Grasshoppers, "There is little doubt that Roy, with her eloquence, concern for the poor, and personal magnetism, is an important voice in the Indian public sphere. But the danger is that her extreme views – and her fierce hostility to a liberalisation programme that many Indians credit with dramatic improvements in their own lives – will alienate those whose support will be essential in India's struggle for social justice in the years ahead."
Criticism of Roy’s deafening tone – from onlookers, fellow activists, and from the Indian government - is in no short supply. Environmental historian Ramachandru Guha has commented on Roy’s activism surrounding the Sardar Sarovar Dam Project, a controversial gravity dam constructed on the Narmada River: "Ms. Roy's tendency to exaggerate and simplify… and her shrill hectoring tone, have given a bad name to environmental analysis".
““There is little doubt that Roy, with her eloquence, concern for the poor, and personal magnetism, is an important voice in the Indian public sphere. But the danger is that her extreme views... will alienate those whose support will be essential in India’s struggle for social justice.””
Of course, a conscientious reader cannot ignore the use of the word ‘shrill’ in this critique of a fellow environmentalist, a word commonly associated with the bigotry surrounding many liberal attitudes around women in activism, particularly political activism. Women’s voices like Roy’s, which cross lines even the bravest progressives have hesitated to cross, are so destructive to the narrative that women’s roles should be limited to small and private life – family and home - that even other liberal voices sometimes respond negatively, which creates space for conservative and other malicious voices to be heard.
Backlash to Women’s Voices
In fact, in 2023, the Human Rights Watch reported that global backlash to women’s rights had reached an all-time high: from Afghanistan’s terrified ban of women in education; China’s frightened censorship policies of feminist content as ‘harmful speech’ (harmful to whom, is the important question); Poland’s juvenile retrogressive policies obstructing response to gender-based violence and reproductive rights; the United States’ malevolent regression from healthy reproductive rights; South Korea’s knee-jerk pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which abolishes the use of the word ‘women’ in policies addressing gendered discrimination, and more. In 2024, we see continued decline in humanity across the globe, a direct response to the standard of growth to women’s power worldwide.
Studies on Women’s Voices in Leadership Provide Answers
“Decades of studies show women leaders help increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire organizational dedication, and improve fairness.”
The American Psychological Association
Of course, with women’s voices rising in echo, we have had the chance to study the effects of bringing more women to political power. As reported by UN Women, “There is established and growing evidence that women’s leadership in political decision-making processes improves them.” In a controlled example, “…research on panchayats (local councils) in India discovered that the number of drinking water projects in areas with women-led councils was 62 per cent higher than in those with men-led councils”. In another: “In Norway, a direct causal relationship between the presence of women in municipal councils and childcare coverage was found”.
The American Psychological Association has performed a number of studies on this phenomenon. A landmark 1992 analysis of 61 of these studies has discovered that women are more likely to ‘epitomize what’s good in the organization and inspire people to go along with it’s mission, compared with men’.
According to a 2010 by organizational psychologist Anita Williams Woolley, PhD, the proportion of women in a group strongly corrolated to the group’s collective intelligence, which is measured in the group’s ability to solve a wide range of problems as a team.
“Groups with more women exhibited greater equality in conversational turn-taking, further enabling the group members to be responsive to one another and to make the best use of the knowledge and skills of members.”
As a matter of fact, in a study of traits relevant to leadership assessed in a 2008 survey by Pew Research Center, women rank higher in seven of the eight. Read this fascinating study here.
The mere presence of a female leader relative to a male leader affects how perceivers anticipate fair treatment. ‘Female leaders cued organizational trust in both male- and female-dominated industries and when they occupied different levels of the organizational hierarchy.’
““Our findings suggest that female representation is not merely an end, but also a means to systematically change insidious gender stereotypes and overcome the trade-off between women being perceived as either competent or likeable,” study authors wrote.”
For a list of these studies and a video on how women in psychology are changing the world, click here.
UN Women suggests that these improvements are natural to the rise of women into places of political power, as women have proven more likely to work across political lines without the distractions of parties or partisanism: “Women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses—even in the most politically combative environments—and by championing issues of gender equality, such as the elimination of gender-based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender-equality laws, and electoral reform”.
What does that mean? Well, it means that these early examples tell us something we already knew: that women, living in a world that is terrified of women in power, will respond to power by helping other women.
In Conclusion
Roy’s response to Ramachandru Guha and his commentary on her ‘shrill’ tone speaks volumes to the rising chorus of women’s voices: "I am hysterical. I'm screaming from the bloody rooftops. And he and his smug little club are going 'Shhhh... you'll wake the neighbours!' I want to wake the neighbours, that's my whole point. I want everybody to open their eyes!”.
When told we are shrill - when mocked for hysteria - when deliberately silenced - especially as the claws of the panic of men tighten around global politics, let us smile.
We are shrill. We are shrieking. And we are all shrieking together.
We will wake the fucking neighbors in 2025.
Get Involved
Through her work in environmentalism and human rights, Roy fights for the earth, and for our lives. Fight with her, and with myself, by getting involved in the following organizations:
Earthjustice, America’s leading environmental law organization, fights to maintain and improve environmental protections in the United States, and won a staggering 85% of the cases they brought to Donnie-T’s administration in 2024.
The Nature Conservancy, a global marine conservation organization operating in more than 80 countries and territories. They’ll even cover your processing fee for any size donation, and you’ll get a free year of the Nature Conservancy magazine for helping out.
The Wildlife Protection Society of India, founded in 1994, is one of the most effective wildlife conservation efforts in India today. The Society’s main focus is providing aid to local communities and government bodies serving to curb poaching and illegal wildlife hunting. Donate or read more here.
Thanks for Reading
Remember:
An ideology only panics when it knows it’s dying.
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Follow Alice on social media so you never miss an event or an update - or, join the Red Veil Lounge to chat directly or join an event!
The Buck Moon Brings Insight to Self-Actuation
This July, the Buck Moon guided tarot group set out to discover the root of personal power, successful self-communication, and the source of motivation toward the peak of summer.
In this spread, we studied the sources of our native power and strength, methods by which to communicate with our deeper selves, and the truth behind what we prioritize in our lives, and why.
A moon of power and integrity.
Named for the season of velvet in North America, the Buck Moon derives its meaning from deer symbolism. During the spring and summer months, North American deer will form a protective velvet coating on their antlers, a part of the natural process of antler growth. This growth process reaches its most impressive stages in the middle of summer; and in July, North American bucks stand tall beneath nature’s most impressive crown, the very picture of Cernunnos.
In terms of symbolism, the Buck Moon takes its notes from this impressive figure: the buck, with its velvet crown, represents courage and integrity, personal power, protection, and renewal.
The spread that took no prisoners.
I took this symbolism to heart when creating this full moon spread, and I kept focus on personal power, self-communication, and reprioritization of our most important values. As usual, this seven-card spread packed its share of one-two punches, and we shared a few quiet moments of soft advice from one to another.
The first few cards of this spread focused on determining our individual sources power, and how we communicate that power to ourselves. I personally received a surprise Three of Hearts, but as I’m in a time of great transit, I expect that to quickly change. We discussed the ways in which our subconscious may try to communicate with us — such as unrestrained or uncontrolled emotions, physical sensations, or themes or ideas that just won’t leave our heads — and then moved forward into the realms of self-compassion.
Self-compassion is a tough trick for most, and so these cards provided quite a bit of useful — and very direct — advice. Most us discovered that self-compassion requires more mental clarity than we’d thought, and some discovered that self-compassion is only found when the expectations and comparisons of others are removed from view.
Two bucks using their sharp antlers to battle for resources.
We took a brief detour to discuss tarot as a psychological tool; not a method of discovering what will happen or why is the world the way it is, but instead a method by which to discover what’s already inside us — what we already know. When asking the cards for sources of strength, I pointed out that I had asked the cards not just for strength, but to give us ideas for strength we can use: a source or action that inspires us to reach for our own power, and to wield it like the force it is.
Of course, every spread I create inevitably hides its own landmines — and in this spread, that landmine was waiting for us in card position number five.
When asking the cards to help us determine what is most important in our individual lives — not what we think is most important, but what is — one of us received an explosion of three jumpers, and a direct refusal to answer the question at all.
This psychological tool, as a direct line to human subconsciousness, will sometimes respond unpredictably. This member of the meet was shocked to find that the cards they received hinted at earlier pulls in their own spread, and that the themes they’d received of emotions as a method of self-communication and a solid foundation of personal accountability weren’t suggestions, but demands.
When they pulled another card, looking for explanations, the deck threw Strength into their lap — a clear indication from their earlier pulls that they needed to focus on card position four.
They aren’t ready to make major life decisions yet.
Finding the courage to change.
For another psychological trick, I added a very specific question toward the end of our spread:
what is key to finding the courage to change?
This powerful animal, with its deadly pointed crown, represents not just raw power, but true integrity. To that point, I wanted to ensure that the questions I asked in this spread represented that sense of honor and principle. Instead of asking outright for courage, or for change, I ensured that this question demanded that we, the querents, did the work of finding our own courage — something that cannot be handed out on a silver platter, but must be discovered within the self.
In this spread, I asked not for answers, but for help to do our own work.
If this resonates with you, you’re already in the right place to utilize this spread.
Join the Red Veil Lounge to gain exclusive access to these live guided tarot meets and my unique and powerful full moon spreads.
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For an advanced practitioner, natural skill alone is not enough. In my nearly twenty years of interfaith study, I’ve prided myself in pairing my strict occult education with my instinctive skill in magic. My knowledge comes straight from the source, whether that be my beloved mother sorceresses, my connections in hell, or my golden divinity from above. Or, just as importantly, some of you.
Event Recap: Imbolc Informational 2024
February is almost here, which means we need to talk about Imbolc! This Pagan holiday retains a rich history and a richer modern practice. Attendees peppered the event with personal anecdotes and experiences, and throughout the afternoon, we discovered together that Pagan history is never truly lost.
Transition, by Courtney Davis
February is almost here, which means we need to talk about Imbolc! This Pagan holiday retains a rich history and a richer modern practice. Attendees peppered the event with personal anecdotes and experiences, and throughout the afternoon, we discovered together that Pagan history is never truly lost.
Imbolc, a name which experts in Celtic linguistics suggest may mean “in the belly,” is celebrated between February 1st and February 3rd; although, as other linguists like Joseph Vendryes suggest, the holiday may once have been married to Roman Lupercalia, allowing practitioners to celebrate the holiday anywhere between February 1st and February 15th.
Celebrated in Ireland since the Neolithic era (as the Mound of the Hostages and other passage tombs can tell us), Imbolc’s name describes the end of winter, when food in Northern Europe and the Northern UK was scarce. With extraordinarily little left to grow, the people relied heavily on livestock to survive.
Luckily, livestock never lets us down: at the top of February comes the ewing season, when mother sheep begin to birth. With this birthing came sheep’s milk, a lifesaving food which the people used to make cheese, butter, and other calorically dense recipes that quite literally meant the difference between life and death.
Thus, this holiday remains a celebration of upcoming spring, birth, and the return of the light. However, adorable sheep aren’t the only respected figures of this holiday. I can’t mention Imbolc without mentioning the Lady of Holy Wells; the Goddess of Smithing; Divine Inspiration to the Filid: Brigid.
Goddess of light, inspiration, art and poetry, smithing, homemaking, fertility, and protection, Brigid stands as an excellent example of why I don’t argue with hearth goddesses: they’re as tough as they are clever. She’s the lady who stands beside people who hold knitting needles as certainly as they hold brass mallets, and I bet she would happily bury me. I love that.
Brigid, The Triple Goddess, by Courtney Davis
Although several attempts at Christian reconstruction (you can thank the British Empire) also created a fictitious saint by the same name, Brigid retains her sacred seat at the head of this table. Like many goddesses, she’s often conflated with other holy ladies of similar ilk; such as Minerva, Maman Brigitte, and Brigantes, the Arthurian sorceress who offered Merlin his magical visions. However, thanks to deep Irish history, Brigid’s qualities and purveyances remain as clear as the sunrise she brings.
Speaking of history and the modern era, did you know that in 2023, the Irish governing body declared Imbolc (or St. Brigid’s Day) a federally celebrated holiday? “The first Irish public holiday named after a woman” is the last of the four major sabbats considered a federal Irish holiday, and they take it very seriously. In recent years, Irish embassies have been hosting annual events around Imbolc to celebrate art by diasporic Irish women. Parades featuring Brídeógs and wrenboys have risen into raucous popularity in many parts of Ireland, Scotland, and England. And then there are the festivals.
The Imbolc International Music Festival
Check out the main page here.
For a great example of the cultural significance Imbolc holds on its people, check out this page for Dublin City.
No matter where I looked, I found Brigid’s festivals: monasteries holding annual celebrations to come into touch with nature; music festivals featuring female leads; speakers and entertainment from all parts of the globe; and of course, arts festivals everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.
However, the deeper I swam, the more of Brigid I found.
A diamond-set St. Brigid’s Cross from My Irish Jeweler
Well-known and well-represented: the Brigid’s Cross is a beloved symbol of Irish heritage.
Jewelers, metalworkers, mountmakers, artists, musicians;
Brigid’s name and likeness were everywhere I looked.
Jen Simons, a metalworker with Brigid Mountmaking, sets a statue.
Imbolc isn’t going anywhere. I love that too.
It was a relief to research a holiday with so much modern practice, but not everyone is so lucky. So, while we performed our usual discussions about symbolism, magical recipes, and other obvious magical practices, we also took a few minutes to talk about the broom closet.
As someone who grew up in that dusty little space, I want to be sure that all young witches know there are resources no matter where we look. In our hobbies, in our front yards, in admiring the sunrise, in creating art, in the clothes we wear; I promise Brigid can see it all. More importantly, so can you.
As usual, live attendees received their free booklet (my Black Angelica Salt and the Dandelion Fritters were the crowd favorites) and access to the presentation and bibliography.
I’m also sending out early download access to 45 minutes of Imbolc-inspired soundscape ambiences.
The rest of you will have to wait for Spotify!
I’m sure Brigid would be pleased to know that I walked away inspired, and I hope the rest of the attendees did too. Imbolc serves as a reminder that no matter how others may try to erase our heritage, Pagan history is long and winding, and we remember it well.
If you missed this informational, have no fear! On March 16th we’re talking Ostara, one of the most visibly appropriated Pagan holidays on the wheel.
If you can’t wait to join the fun, check out Alice Reads on Twitch on February 10th. Or, come around on February 24th for Snow Moon Guided Tarot, one of our most popular get-togethers.
Check out the OCC Events page for more information. And, of course, make sure you’re signed up for the monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date.
Event Recap: New Year’s Group Tarot 2024
I like to say that group tarot is a little bit like group therapy: it's an amazing way to build community, spark deep discussions between strangers, and gain insight from other walks of life. Group tarot does have an added benefit, though, and it's a benefit I'd like to think is just as important: our tarot meets also provide an exceptional learning opportunity for those less familiar with a witch’s most well-known tool!
Last night, January 1st, 2024, a mixed group of OCC witches and other practitioners sat down to start the new year with an open mind and a sense of optimism. And how better to do that than the tarot?
We had an remarkable mix of practitioners for this event, ranging from witches with great experience, to practitioners who came to learn a new divinatory tool (so nice to meet you, Gracie!).
As we laid out our cards, it became quickly apparent that this spread hadn't come to play— through our laughing exasperation and playful callouts, we discovered that each of us received multiple major arcana, and such bold direction that one member even laughed that the tarot was "slapping her out of her slump". That same member managed to pull 6 major arcana (despite reshuffling twice). What can you do but laugh?
Seasons of Life, the spread I designed for this event, comes to us from our earth mother Gaia, who spent 2023 teaching me about transience. Her advice? To recognize that seasons of life come and go, and accept that this impermanence does not mean these seasons are insignificant. Rather, as Gaia tried to impress upon me, we should dive into these seasons of life headfirst and live each phase out to its fullest.
To create the spread, I focused on five recognizable phases in life: Release, Rest, Celebration, Work, and Play. For each phase I created a position; then, in a moment of inspiration, I doubled the spread to create a 10-card spread split into two groups of 5. Each larger group of 5 describes the positive and negative aspects of each phase. The full spread appears as below:
The first 5 cards (the Seasons of Living), represented the best of these phases. Together, we discussed the benefits of rest and release, supporting one another as we talked ourselves though the process; how to engage with play; the work we should be prepared to undertake; and the successes and celebrations 2024 will hold.
The Seasons of Discord brought to mind the difficulties we may each face in the upcoming year. We supported one another through tough discussions about why release is so hard, why balance between work and play is so very important for overall health, and how not to take the upsets and downbeats in life too seriously.
The news, I’m happy to report, was honest, but upbeat. I don’t think anyone expects a cakewalk 2024, but at least for the members of the Red Veil Lounge, it looks like the fruits of individual labors will finally come to a satisfying abundance. And, of course, now we know for sure we’re not alone.
In a less serious moment, we then discovered that somehow, two of our members were using the very same deck. If you know how plentiful decks are these days, then you know how unlikely this is. Taking Gaia's advice, we took a moment to breathe and giggle toward the end of the meet.
Above are my own results from last night’s spread.
The deck we had in common was this one, the Moonlight Tarot by Dark Forest on Etsy.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous reward for fulfilling your New Year’s resolutions this year, I do adore this beautiful deck. Not a sponsor, just a charming piece of art.
We had some profound revelations last night. And, as I always hope will happen after those vulnerable moments, we each walked away with a deeper faith in the incredible support found in this community. In the end, we each ended the night with a plan for 2024, a greater clarity into our own self-expectations, and—at least, for me—a sense of hopefulness and excitement.
If you missed this event, have no fear: our next group tarot session will take place on February 24th in the Red Veil Lounge. Want to help us decide the spread’s focus? Hop into the discord here and let me know in the Tarot channel.
If tarot isn’t quite your style, the OCC is hosting an Imbolc informational on Saturday, January 27th. Join us at 1:30pm CST/2:30pm EST for celebration ideas, important Pagan history, and to learn about Brigid, goddess of prophecy and poetry. And, as always, live attendees will also receive an exclusive booklet detailing crafts, magics, recipes, and information for free.
If you missed the January newsletter, sign up here to stay in the know.
Event Recap: Hekate’s Night 2023
Drawing Down the Moon focused on re-establishing respect for our goddesses—and by extension, our women—in the modern era, and the talk became so engaged that I hated to cut it short. Look out for a self-contained session of Drawing Down the Moon in the coming months!
I had to cut the prior segment short because I had promised- pinkie out!- to share the ritual Hekate passed down to me on the weekend prior. With the Lady of the Crossroads herself in attendance, I’d hate to disappoint!
How do we bring our ancient practices into our modern world?
Are the ancient symbols appropriate for our changing culture? How are re-emerging Pagan and occult groups reclaiming our symbols - stolen by organized religions and political parties? And how do we pass our study onto our children as a practice—not as a system of belief?
Those, among other topics, were the difficult points of discussion for Hekate’s Night with the OCC.
We began with an educational slideshow about Hekate. Through Hekate’s lens, we examined traces from the 7th century through to the current era. I presented my facts: the unknown origins of her name, the futility of tracking her across Near Asia to the outer fringes of Greece, and the symbols we currently associate with her and other dark goddesses. Alongside archeological finds in terracotta, marble, and paint, we also studied textual sources such as the Hymn to Hekate in Hesiod’s Theogony, the Orphic Hymn to Hekate, and the Orphic Argonautica; and, of course, modern followers of the lady herself.
Turnout for the event was 100% - not a single person missing - and some our attendees shared their personal stories. The mood in the room was immaculate: respectful, actively listening, and engaged.
“In fall 2020, I was taking a shadow work course with my former coven, and part of the course was participating in one of the major rituals they call the 'Deathwalking Ritual of Release', [public information],” said @Aelin Lovelace during Stories of the Mother. “The ritual included the attendees being guided through a spirit journey to Hekate's Cave to present her with our offerings... where you sacrifice something to Hekate that no longer serves you. That night, I went to bed and fell asleep without suffering the paralyzing terror that was my nightly companion.”
This, says @Aelin, was the beginning of her long journey with this mysterious goddess. “I’ve sworn service to Hekate.”
I was equally excited to hear from our guest speaker for the night, who identifies herself online as @Mellie, her nickname. “My day job, I’m the Director of Leadership and Development [with my company], which just means I teach people how to transcend their limits and grow. Or in simpler words, I teach mundanes magick," said @Mellie. "I’ve taught magick for so many years, it’s hard for me not to talk about it.”
@Mellie described her initial meeting with Hekate, a story which Hekate asks is kept private at this time. She also described aspects of her experience as a modern witch in our segment Drawing Down the Moon.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about Hekate that were created specifically to disempower women from their own innate power. For example, by desexualizing Hekate and turning her into a Crone, or merely part of a triple moon triad. Completely a neopagan construct," @Mellie adds, "primarily put forth by men trying to organize a women’s mystery that they could not grasp themselves… viewing a woman only in terms of her sexual productivity and usefulness.”
““Maiden/mother/crone really does reduce women to ‘innocent and sexy/raising kids/aged speaker of wisdom’ as if that’s all we can do,” added @Lila Ofel Lilit, who runs her own discord for similar spiritual practices, The Night House. “Boxing up femininity into categories makes it less wild and untamed.””
“Maiden/mother/crone really does reduce women to ‘innocent and sexy/raising kids/aged speaker of wisdom’ as if that's all we can do,” added @Lila Ofel Lilit, who runs her own discord for similar spiritual practices, The Night House. “Boxing up femininity into categories makes it less wild and untamed.”
@Mellie agreed. “It’s a huge stumbling block now, especially with LGBTQ rights, gender identification, etc. Little do they realize that Hekate’s temple not only had eunuch priests, [but also] children, and men who dressed as women and performed women’s tasks.”
Drawing Down the Moon focused on re-establishing respect for our goddesses—and by extension, our women—in the modern era, and the talk became so engaged that I hated to cut it short. Look out for a self-contained session of Drawing Down the Moon in the coming months!
Took this at midnight, 6 hours in for us. Not enough coffee in the world for an early riser.
I had to cut the prior segment short because I had promised- pinkie out!- to share the ritual Hekate passed down to me on the weekend prior. With the Lady of the Crossroads herself in attendance, I’d hate to disappoint!
Hekate added a few anecdotes over the evening, but became most engaged with our Rise the Torch-bearers ritual segment and our final activity of the evening, Hekate’s Guided Tarot. Of course she did—she was the source!
The ritual, dictated to me in short, commanding sentences (and summarily left for me to explain in modern English), is available on the Red Veil discord. The tarot spread, which possesses such positions as “I am Hekate” and “The moon is my weakness (I hear her singing)”, is also available on the discord.
We shared a great deal of discussion about one another’s personal gnoses, knowledge about Hindu, Greek, and Pagan beliefs, and even—for a weird moment—a debate about the mathematical nature of triangles. With such a lively crowd, I’m not surprised so many of them stuck around past the end of the event to continue our guided tarot session.
Each member shared their spreads. Until midnight we pulled our cards and caught the jumpers, and one by one added our suggestions to one another’s draws. Of course, ladies like Hekate don’t pull punches; we offered one another comfort, too. Personally, I’m still chewing over my last draw, Temperance, and I will be for a while.
Finally, with the event happily extended by over an hour—with some people still popping in to join the fun—we put away our decks and said goodnight. Not before, of course, voting for me to host another guided tarot night sometime soon. Look out for that to appear on the Events page!
Those who attended the event live received my Hekate’s Night booklet: 26 pages of modern magics (like my homemade Hellbore Fire incense), basic spellwork practices (like my personal black salt recipe), crafts for those who may still be hiding in the broom closet, and even a couple delicious drinks to warm the soul. Attendees also received access to extra downloadable pages of family activities, worksheets for smaller children, and several pages of herb, powder, oil, and flower correspondences related to Hekate, Queen and Mother.
For those who would like access to the full bibliography and slideshows to the event, the Red Veil Lounge is open. Check the Hekate channel for online and PDF versions of the Theogony, Orphic Hymns, and Orphic Arognautica too!
If you’d like to join the Red Veil Lounge, the discord is available for all ages 18+. Just fill out the form to confirm your age.
Check out upcoming events on the Events page.