On the 16th of May 2011 hundreds, and maybe thousands of people from all around the world will once again be united in their passion for the Torchbearing mistress of the Crossroads, the Goddess Hekate. They will include men and women, people from all kinds of magical and spiritual traditions, people from all six the inhabited continents of the world and people who speak a host of different languages. Fires will be lit by people wearing full ritual regalia in temples with elaborate shrines, fires will be lit by people wearing robes or nothing at all in woodland glades, gardens, forests, by the sea and even in a desert; and by people wearing their ordinary work clothes lighting a flame they will place on a bookshelf or office table. Some will perform the rite in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some at night – throughout the day when they have a chance they will speak the words and light the flame – and in that moment they will be united with all other participants who honour and call upon this ancient Goddess.
The ritual which was first facilitated in 2010 in celebration of the publication of the anthology Hekate Her Sacred Fires has had a profound effect on many who participated last year, leading to (amongst other things) the formation of the Covenant of Hekate (see www.hekatecovenant.com ) which uses it as part of its membership ritual. It has lead to friendships and the formation of many new communities of people who are united in their interest in Hekate.
One of the queries most often raised about it is about the use of the Ephesian letters, ie. “Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.” – so we have decided to post a copy of the updated article / blog from www.sacredfires.co.uk here for those of you who are seeking for more information. Please go to https://www.facebook.com/sorcery#!/event.php?eid=220509774629762 and RSVP if you plan to join in – more updates will be posted to that page.
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Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne
The Rite of Her Sacred Fires include the use of the “Ephesian Letters” – and a number of people have asked about this – so I decided to put together the following for those unfamiliar with its use, I hope that it explains its inclusion in the rite.
“Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.”
One of the oldest and most significant sets of voces magicae (a term used for magical words of unknown meaning and origin) was the Ephesian Letters or Characters, a group of six words. These words were askion, kataskion, lix, tetrax, damnameneus and aision(or aisia). We cannot be absolutely certain whether the Ephesian Letters were specifically connected with Hekate, though from the evidence it does seem likely. Their first known appearance was in a Mycenaean inscription from the fifth century BCE.
The Ephesian Letters occur a number of times in the Greek Magical Papyri in charms which call on Hekate. Thus the first two of the Ephesian Letters were used in a Hekate charm associated with initiation (PGM LXX.12) as part of a string of voces magicae, being:
“Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.”
The fifth word, damnameneia, was used in the Bear Charm, which included reference to Hekate as Brimo (PGM VII.686-702). A second-third century CE lead defixione tablet to Hekate as torch bearer of the crossroads also uses this word repeatedly (SM 49).
An early fragmentary protective charm on a lead tablet from Phalasarna on Crete included the Ephesian Letters with phrases indicative of Hekate like ‘She-wolf’. It is also interesting to note that they are called the Orphic Formula in the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM VII.451). Considering the connections between Hekate and the Orphic Mysteries, this is another hint which suggests a specific ritual connection with Hekate and these words.
The Ephesian Letters were also referred to by the Greek poet Anaxilas in his lost fourth century BCE play The Harp Maker, when he wrote “[unnamed person] carries around marvellous Ephesian letters in sewn pouches.” Various qualities were attributed to the Ephesian Letters, including endowing the wearer with great power (particularly wrestlers as described in Eustathius, Photius and the Suda) and protecting newly married couples (mentioned by Menander, fragment 371).
It should also be noted that when Plutarch commented on the powers of the Ephesian Letters (Moralia 706E), he referred to daimones, who were specifically under the rule of Hekate:
“For just as sorcerers advise those possessed by daimones to recite and name over to themselves the Ephesian letters.”
The Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria, who was well known for being the teacher of the theologian Origen, recorded suggested meanings for the Ephesian Letters in his workStromata (Miscellanies) in the early third century CE:
“Androkydes the Pythagorean, indeed, says that the so-called Ephesian letters, which were well-known among many, were of the order of symbols. And he said that Askion is darkness, for this has no shadow; and Kataskion is light, since it casts a shadow with its rays; and Lix is the earth, according to the ancient name; and Tetrax is the year, according to the seasons; and Damnameneus is the sun, the tamer; and Aisia is the true word. And truly the symbol signifies that the divine things have been set in order: darkness to light, the sun to the year, the earth to every kind of genesis of nature.”
(Based on Voces Magicae, ch. 5 of Hekate Liminal Rites, d’Este & Rankine, 2009:65-69)
Returning to the words used in the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, “Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne” – as voces magicae we cannot know for certain what they meant when they were used, but we can draw together likely speculations. From Clement of Alexandria, we can see that the phrase starts with Askei Kataskei which could mean ‘darkness, light’. Mega in Greek means ‘great’, and it has been suggested that Baui may refer to the barking of a dog (Betz 1996:297, fn.7). All of these speculations hint at Hekate – both darkness and light, greatness, and dogs. As such it is possible that this phrase was a coded sequence which called on Hekate’s powers.
Today the Ephesian letters continue to be used in rites honouring Hekate, I have been using it for many years in a form of chanting honouring Hekate, much like the pujas found in spiritual traditions such as Hinduism. It is being used to honour Her, but also to protect and empower magical rites.
I hope that this explains its inclusion and history,
Dancing in Her Flames
Sorita d’Este
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