The darkness breathes into December, forcing some to run for the light while others embrace the night. The Hekate of December urges us to follow her into this time, to explore our depths, delve into her mysteries and be reborn. Here I find myself with those that remain: the moon, her poisons, and her powerful winged creatures. If you’re here with me, know that this is not the easy path, but it is our truth. The world of spirits awaits those who answer Hekate’s call. All of us sustained by the breath of her darkness. Hail the Hekate of December!

The Holy Darkness of December

December retains the energy of  spiritual death walking, this is the time to claim your skills as a psychopomp(e), soul guide, death doula and medium. All the fuss around Samhain neglects that the end of October ushers in a season of spirits rather than just one day. I wrote several spiritual death walking articles around that time, including ways to connect with the ancestors of place, a Great Goddesses ritual for unleashing your inner witch, and the death walking oil that so many of you have written to me proclaiming it’s effectiveness. All those workings can still be done in December. The fact that this is a season is why I call it the Holy Darkness. It is a sacred time for witchcraft, for those of us who draw down the moon, talk to the dead, and work with all manner of spirits.

The Winter Solstice marks the transition away from this time, regardless of how you celebrate that day, across cultures and times, the energy is that of rebirth. Except, of course, for the Ancient Greeks who didn’t celebrate the solstice. So much of what we know about Historical Hekate comes from their perspective. They followed a lunar calendar and I do, too. I don’t think I have ever once summoned the sun for a spell, while I have a close personal relationship with Luna. There’s Saturnalia, of course, which can be celebrated for a more reconstructionist vibe. Saturn and Hekate have some ancient, yet enduring, connections.

Continue Reading