The Triple Horned Goddess of the Moon and Underworld, the Queen of Hell, Hecate.

“Priestess of the Fire Snake” by Steffi Grant, frontispiece from “Cults of the Shadow” by Kenneth Grant (1975).

The “Fire Snake” is a reference to Kundalini, a Sanskrit term for a fundamental energy or “Shakti” that can be experienced as a creative and libidinal force in the human body.

Traditions from across the globe all refer to this energy, calling it by different names (e.g. “Secret Fire” in alchemy, “Sophia” in Gnosticism, “Shekhinah” in the Kabbalah etc.).

NB: You should “do your homework” before undertaking any practice to raise Kundalini energy. Various preliminary techniques are designed to help balance and prepare your nervous system for this. A premature raising of this energy can result in major damage to your physical and mental well-being: caveat aspirans!

The other images are (in order):

For more on these topics & others, please visit “Noise vs. Signal”.

Diagrams from the “Philosophus Lecture” of the Golden Dawn. The numbered green text in the second image refers to each diagram.

“Whatever the etymological origin of the word ‘magic’ may be, the mage is the finder and founder of images. Magic consists in fathoming the great Imagination”.

Images and text from “Mage and Image: An Essay on Hermetic Mutation with Coloured Reconstructions of G. … D. … Wands and Sceptres“ by Steffi Grant (1963).

Reprinted in “Hidden Lore: Hermetic Glyphs” by Kenneth and Steffi Grant (2006).

Hellenic Pronunciation for the Gods

It is likely, like me, you grew up without an education in Classical (or Modern for that matter) Greek. You might have read “Hecate” and read it as “Heh-KATE” or, at best, “Heh-kuh-TEE” (a habit which I fear I might take to the grave). So hopefully you will also find this selection of pronunciation from HellenicGods.org interesting. I recommend reading their full article. In particular was the use of the diphthongs - where the tip of the tongue meets and presses flat against the roof of the mouth right behind the teeth before releasing. It makes a sound that is something between a D and a Th. This is common in Indian languages, like Punjabi, where I became familiar with it.

Ækáti - (Hecate or Hekate; Gr. Ἑκάτη, ΕΚΑΤΗ) Pronounced: æ-KAH-tee. or eh-KAH-tee.

Ærmís (Hermes; Gr. Ἑρμῆς, ΕΡΜΗΣ) Pronounced: ayr-MEES, the ‘H’ is silent; the 'R’ is rolled slightly such that it almost sounds like the name has three syllables.

Æstía (Hestia; Gr. Ἑστία, ΕΣΤΙΑ) Pronounced: æs-TEE-ah.

Aphrodíti (Aphrodite; Gr. Ἀφροδίτη, ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ) Pronunciation: ah-froh-DEE-tee, roll the 'r’ slightly; the d (dǽlta) is pronounced like the soft th in this, not like the hard th in theory

Apóllohn - (Apollo; Gr. Ἀπόλλων, ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ) Pronounced ah-POH-lohn.

Áris - (Ares; Gr. Άρης, ΑΡΗΣ) Pronunciation: AH-rees 

Ártæmis (Artemis; Gr. Ἄρτεμις, ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ) Pronunciation: AHR-tay-mees 

Athiná (Athena; Gr. Ἀθηνᾶ, ΑΘΗΝΑ) Pronunciation: ah-thee-NAH, the accent on the final syllable, or not accenting any syllable.

Daimohn (Gr. δαίμων, ΔΑΙΜΩΝ) Pronounced: DAY-mohn, the D sounding like the th in thee (not like the th in thesis).

Dimítir (Demeter or Demetra; Gr. Δημήτηρ, ΔΗΜΗΤΗΡ) When enunciating the name Dimítir, the D (delta) is pronounced like the soft th in this, not like the hard th in theory: dee-MEE-teer, with the accent on the second syllable.

Diónysos - (Dionysus; Gr. Διόνυσος, ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ) The D in Diónysos is pronounced like the th in thee (not like the th in thesis). Pronounced: dee-OH-nee-sohs.

Ílios - (Helios; Gr. Ἥλιος, ΗΛΙΟΣ) Pronounced: EE-lee-ohs.

Íphaistos (Hephaestus; Gr. Ἥφαιστος, ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ) Pronounced: EE-fays-tohs, with the accent on the first syllable; there is no 'H.’

Íra (Hera; Gr. Ήρα, ΗΡΑ) Pronounced: EE-rah.  The 'H’ (Íta [Eta; Gr. ἦτα]) at the beginning of the name of the Goddess is a vowel.

Nyx (Gr. Νύξ, ΝΥΞ) Pronounced: neeks.

Orphéfs (Orpheus; Gr. Ὀρφεύς, ΟΡΦΕΥΣ) Pronounced: ohr-FEFS

Pærsæphóni - (Persephone; Gr. Περσεφόνη, ΠΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗ) Pronounced: payr-say-FOH-nee.

Poseidóhn  - (Poseidon; Gr. Ποσειδῶν, ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ) Pronounced: poh-see-DOHN, accent on the last syllable; the d (delta) at the beginning of the last syllable is pronounced like a soft th as in this, not like the th in theory. 

Rǽa - (Rhea; Gr. Ῥέα, ΡΕΑ) Pronounced: RAY-ah, rolling the R just slightly.

Titánæs (Titans; Gr. Τιτᾶνες, ΤΙΤΑΝΕΣ) Pronounced: tee-TAH-nays or tee-TAH-nehs.

Yaia - (Gaia; Gr. Γαῖα, ΓΑΙΑ. Pronounced: YÆ-ah.

Zefs (Zeus; Gr.  Ζεύς, ΖΕΥΣ) Pronounced: zĕfs; the diphthong εύ is pronounced like the ef in left.

Steeped in magic… this piece titled Heal (2014) by @joon_ahn_art is all kinds of magic! . . . #beautifulbizarremagazine #newcontemporaryart #surrealism #joonahn #magic #fantasy #wizard #conceptart #skull

✞ 666 ✞

"Witch" by Yoshitaka Amano.

Can you see the skull? “Morning Tea” by Serge N. Kozintsev  . . . #beautifulbizarremagazine #SergeKozintsev #surrealart #darksurrealism #skull #illusion

Kristine and Colin Poole’s incredible sculpture, “Spinner of Dreams” [Fired clay, metal. 13 x 16 x 9.5"] for the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize exhibition “Representational Modern” currently on view at Modern Eden Gallery through till 1 February . To enquire about this work please email Gallery Director, Kim Larson at kim@moderneden.com . . .

#beautifulbizarremagazine #artmagazine #beautifulbizarreartprize #newcontemporaryart #contemporaryart #art #modernedengallery #representationalmodern #kristinepoole #colinpooel #figurativesculpture #ceramicsculpture #surrealart

The hair of Berenice (a.k.a. Leo and Virgo)

1886

A female nude standing supported on a lion with one hand to a wound in her breast, a crown and flowing hair against a star-lit sky, with another nude behind her.

Luis Ricardo Faléro

(1851–1896)

mezzotint on a sheet of chine appliqué

British Museum

Yamamoto Takato 山本タカト (1960 - ). 

@rogueandwolf

When the tag on your new clothes is sending you a message. 🌙

Taurus - WTF #Zodiac #Signs Daily #Horoscope plus #Astrology ! 

SUBMISSION SUNDAY // “Baphomet” [drawing] by @strange_dust on Instagram . Tag us #beautifulbizarre on Instagram to be considered for inclusion in our ‘Join the Tribe’ community feature in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine + each Sunday our Editor-in-Chief @danijelakrha chooses her favourites and shares them with our 850,000+ social media followers! . . . #beautifulbizarremagazine #blackdrawing #creepy #sketching #illustration #darkart #darkartists #beautifulbizarre #darkwork

via weheartit