Survive Now, Thrive Later: Meditations With Hekate On COVID-19

Every night I do a devotional to Hekate. Sometimes I pause to meditate to see if there are any messages she has to send me or anything I need to pray to her specifically for. The messages in question tend to be more like quiet realizations but on rare occasions I get some strong feelings, ideas, or even images.

A little over a week ago, I did my usual meditation on the triple form of Hekate, but what I got was a very different image. The face of hers that turned to my right was a skull, the one facing left was that of a hound. Her main head directly faced mine, and her expression was very somber. In ancient times they told tales of hounds accompanying Hekate in the underworld. She is a goddess of the restless dead.

The restless dead are increasing in number

“We live in unprecedented times” is the oft-repeated phrase, but this is the reality in the age of COVID-19. We are facing an historic event, and a very bad one at that. The United States government alone says that if total mitigation is done, we could be “lucky” enough to only have 240,000 people die. The worst case scenario is in the millions. In this country, we have the terrible, terrible combination of a societal love of rugged individualism combined with privatized healthcare. For a pandemic, this spells disaster.

Not everyone is acting in the best interest of others. In short, people’s shortsightedness is literally killing others. Not everyone is taking this seriously. I personally know of someone who tested positive for the coronavirus but is still going out with his boyfriend and friends.

This is how the virus continues to spread, and why we are all in danger. Meanwhile, we’re now losing at least 1,000 people to COVID-19 in a single day.

When this is over, we are going to lose a LOT of people. Some of us already have.

Survive now, thrive later

For many of us this will be a very, very bitter pill to swallow, but a wakeup call is coming. It is time to survive, and only that. Thriving will come much later–provided that we are fortunate enough to be able to do so.

What does this mean?

It means making do with the bare necessities and being mindful of how you go about your day, and if you are fortunate enough to have a job that allows you to do so, to STAY AT HOME, and only leave if absolutely necessary. And if you do, to take the appropriate precautions.

This means no movies, no hairdresser appointments, no bar outings with friends, and no parties. This isn’t a snow day. We are not on a vacation or holiday. If you have the luxury of only getting bored vs getting permanent lung damage, be grateful.

Be kind to yourself as well as to others, as we’re all in this together

You’re allowed to be angry, stressed, frustrated, or mourn the events that have been either cancelled or postponed due to the global pandemic. I have a birthday coming up and several major social events and travel plans that are now dead. Yes, it bothers me. Yes, I am sad about this. These emotions are valid and I am entitled to them. You are too.

Others are in the same boat, so remember that when you interact with people. Be kind. We are all facing the same battle.

Lend support when you are able, and don’t be afraid to reach out to others when you need it.

Being kind means physical distancing now–yes, even your immediate family

I had to call my parents on the phone and explain to them why I can’t see them for the foreseeable future. That if for some reason I am an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus and give it to one or both of them, they will wind up in the hospital and die alone. I will be unable to be with them during their final moments since hospitals aren’t allowing visitors. And that while it would be absolutely devastating to lose either one or both of them under ordinary circumstances that under those conditions it would be even worse.

This was not a pleasant conversation to have. I almost broke down in tears several times. But they understood. My dad is in the absolute highest risk category, and my mom is in the age category where it can do the most harm. I myself am high risk due to asthma.

Love sometimes means doing things you don’t want to do now in order for there to be a future later.

The future is uncertain, and those of us who be there will be guarded and fearful

I don’t know when I’ll ever feel comfortable enough to return to normal activities, nor who to trust as to when I can. The CDC is filled with mixed or even wrong messaging to the point where even medical professionals are forced to go against their current standards. Doctors and nurses are filming their statements on how if they wear masks they will be fired. Doctors and nurses are dying due to lack of protection and proper equipment. We are losing the very people we need to keep us alive.

How will this world look when this is over? How will I truly know given how untrustworthy my government and the information has been on when it’s safe to return to “normal”? What will be “normal” when this is done? When will this be done? Will it EVER be done?

I can’t answer that, and what comes to mind terrifies me.

All I can say with certainty that there will be no “normal” like there was before.

What can we do?

Survive now, thrive later. Embrace Zoom and other methods of long distance face-to-face communication. Talk with others on ideas on how to get essentials delivered to your house. If you have to go to the grocery store due to lack of options, use the proper care. Listen to the medical professionals on this, and please take it seriously. Take the time out for your mental and emotional health, and recognize that we are in this for the long haul. We have no other choice; these are the times we are living in. If you need it, reach out to a professional.

We need you to survive. We need as many of us to survive as we can.

Gods be with us all, and may Hekate the torchbearer guide you towards embracing this as much as you need to and show you just how much you are capable of. May Asklepios and Hygeia as well as Apollo the physician look upon you with favor, and may Hermes grant you luck and fortune in your darkest hour.

Best of wishes, and good luck.