Welcome to November
And the Descent Into the Underworld
We Honor the Darkness….
Festivals and Gatherings…
On November 1st we continue moving through the sacred days of Samhain.
What we now call Halloween has roots in the Catholic celebrations All Hollows Day, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.
These holidays come to us from Pagan holy days, namely the Celtic feast of Samhain. This is our Sabbat to honor the dead when the veil between this world and the next is the thinnest. During this time, huge bonfires burn to frighten spirits, while warming the souls of those we love who have departed.
We build altars, communicate with the dead, and gather in our covens to honor this sacred time.
At the sunset on November 16th thus begins the Night of Hecate.
On November 16th we feast at the Crossroads to honor the Goddess Hecate.
Hecate is a goddess of Greek Mythology who celebrated for her duality of both good and evil. She is especially associated with witchcraft, magic, the Moon, doorways, and creatures of the night such as hellhounds and ghosts.
Hecate presides over magic and spells. Legend tells us that she watched the abduction of Persephone to the underworld and assisted in the search for her, torch in hand.
Hecate has been shown as a single-formed woman, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches.
In later representations she is triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she can look in all directions at once from the crossroads.
She is often depicted as accompanied by packs of barking dogs. Her wisdom in the realm of poisonous plants and medicinal herbs runs deep and she is therefore celebrated for her herbal knowledge.
In Hecate’s garden, the goddess and witch in all of us thrives. It is there, this high priestess and shaman tends to her medicinal plants, her poisonous plants, and the serpents that live there.
Other than Sabbats…
The celebrated stone for the month of November is Topaz.
Topaz is known for its calming energies as well as good fortune and warmth for those that keep Topaz close.
On the Celtic Tree Calendar the month of November is associated with Reed.
When we hear wind instruments during the dark part of the year, we can suppose that the souls of the dead are being summoned to the underworld. Reed is known for its haunting sound that floats through the forest.
November is ruled by intense Scorpio and Scorpio is ruled by Pluto. In mythology, Pluto is the God of the Underworld. Symbolically, Pluto is a planet of power, mystery, and control.
As a totem, scorpions are symbols of passion, dominance, defense, transformation, and rebirth.
The Earth & Stars
The New Moon in Scorpio falls between November 14th and November 15th depending on where you gaze upon the skies.
This time asks us to be attentive to all that is shadowy, dark, on the fringe.
The Full Moon in November falls on 30th under the sign of the twin, Gemini.
Check out our blog, magickandalchemy.com, for detailed astrological insights.
Monthly Intentions
November calls to us to embrace mystery. Now is a time to celebrate our shadow, to explore what is dark. This is a time to deepen our understanding of divination and scrying. This month, listen to your intuition, honor the cyclical nature of our lives, build a bonfire, come to the crossroads, delve into the underworld, listen to your guides, and celebrate death.
Blessed be.
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A Greek Goddess of witchcraft, the Moon, and all that roams at night, Hecate is a dark and mysterious Goddess of great magic. Hecate was known as the gatekeeper between realms, and the Goddess of liminality—often shown guarding the crossroads… read more
