Upon the Altar

Introduction

It is easy to lose hope, to feel numb and disillusioned these days, considering the horrific crimes against humanity happening in Gaza, the worsening climate crisis, and so many other things that are going wrong in the world. For this, there are resources out there on how to deal with activism fatigue and burnout, many which can be found online. However, as I am very much an astrolater — a venerator of stars — I returned to my faith and asked my spirit family and the fixed star Castor if there is anything I could magically do. I was then given this ritual which I wish to share publicly. This is not a way to encourage spiritual bypassing, merely an aid for those who believe that magic is a legitimate tool to give you strength and support

For transparency’s sake, I want to also make it clear that this ritual is inspired by Sphere and Sundry’s  perfume oil Squama of the Exalted Venus series. The oil can be used to anoint candles for the ritual. Likewise, Atephra Botanica’s Eye of the Storm Elixir can also be dropped into the water bowl for the first part of the ritual to wash the shells as well.

Preparing the Shell-Heart

Into a bowl of spring water, place some bay, saffron, cloves and a few drops of honey and let it infuse. Take one more bay leaf, light it on fire, and speak these words to the flames:

In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes, there will be singing about the dark times.

Then, dip the flaming bay leaf into the water, letting it extinguish. With this water, wash two seashells (scallop, cockle etc). As you wash the shells, recite the following:

Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt — marvelous error! — that a spring was breaking out in my heart. I said: Along which secret aqueduct, oh water, are you coming to me,water of a new life that I have never drunk? Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt — marvelous error! — that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures. Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt — marvelous error! — that a fiery sun was giving light inside my heart. It was fiery because I felt warmth as from a hearth, and sun because it gave light and brought tears to my eyes. Last night as I slept, I dreamt — marvelous error! — that it was God I had here inside my heart.

Leave the shells to dry naturally, preferably under sunlight. Once it is dried, write your name upon the inner side of the shells.

The Paper Petition

Write onto a thin and long strip of paper the following lines from Homer’s Odyssey (the translations taken from the works of Robert and Fitzgerald and Ian Johnston):

great Zeus has given me a glimpse of land, just when I’d lost hope

the mouth of a calm river at length came into view, with level shores unbroken, free from rock, shielded from wind

O hear me, lord of the stream: how sorely I depend upon your mercy!

over him Athena showered sleep that his distress should end, and soon, soon.

The Consecration

Ideally, this should be done when Castor is on one of the angles (midheaven, ascendant, descendant, imum coeli etc).

Fold the paper strip into a paper star (if the end piece of the paper keeps slipping, you can ‘glue’ it together using beeswax) and place it within one half of the seashells. Likewise, into the shell, place in more of the bay, saffron, cloves (powdered or whole it does not matter) along with a feather from a swan or some species of bird that sings at the rising sun. Then, cover the seashell with the other seashell, enclosing the objects inside the two halves. Get a string and make one, three or six knots. With each knot, capturing your breath within the knots each time you say the phrase “I have a beehive here inside my heart, a fiery sun is giving light inside my heart”.

Finally, light a beeswax candle, and call upon the fixed star Castor using this adapted Orphic Hymn to the Stars, translation by Thomas Taylor.

With holy voice I call Castor on high,
Pure sacred light and genius of the sky.
Celestial star, the progeny of Night,
In whirling circles beaming far your light,
Refulgent rays around the heav’ns ye throw, 
Eternal fires, the source of all below.
With flames significant of Fate ye shine,
And aptly rule for men a path divine.
In seven bright zones ye run with wand’ring flames,
And heaven and earth compose your lucid frames:
With course unwearied, pure and fiery bright
Forever shining thro’ the veil of Night.
Hail twinkling, joyful, ever wakeful fires!
Propitious shine on all my just desires;
These sacred rites regard with conscious rays,
And end our works devoted to your praise.

Make whatever offerings to Castor you feel is appropriate. Then, speak into the candle a petition to Castor that in your heart of shell: shells to protect what is tender within, but be not so hard and cold as to deprive you of a heart that still can feel and eyes that still can weep.

Ask that Castor imbue his stellar light within the shell-heart, that his light be for you a guiding star, a star of hope, the fire within your heart whenever you feel like losing yourself to despair or apathy. Ask that you find salvation upon wings of hope. Ask that the soothing melodies of Castor’s song of hope grant you the will to keep fighting, to not give up no matter how difficult things may be. Ask that you be led to gentle shores, a reprieve from storms and rough seas.

Once the petition has been made, use the candle wax to seal the two seashells together, going over the edges of the shells and over the strings you’ve tied.

Keep this charm close and hold onto it whenever you need some hope. Every so often, feed it with fresh spring water and honey and light from beeswax candles. Let it bask in the sunlight of the rosy dawn. Use it as a charm to venerate Castor.

Additional Notes

The poem excerpts come from poems written by poets with Castor prominent in their charts, as expanded upon in my other blog post.

Bay, saffron and cloves are three herbs ruled by the Sun, a planet which the fixed star Castor has an affinity with. Bay is also a herb of victory, something which is in line with the nature of Dioscuri who often represented victory for Rome. Saffron has a necromantic quality to it, which I believe reflects well the dying-and-rising nature of  hope, something which often morphs into sorrow before emerging as hope once more. There is also a Venusian quality to saffron as well, which connects it to the heart. Lastly, cloves are protective against evil spirits and — according to The Green Mysteries: An Occult Herbarium by Daniel Schulke — can be useful for workings of ‘enkindlement’ and ‘disciplined fire’. Fire is what is needed to bring light and to sustain hope.

The use of Homeric verses in divination and magic is something that has been used historically within the Greek Magical Papyri, something I am definitely inspired by. The lines used in the ritual are from Book Five of Homer’s The Odyssey.

The verses depict Odysseus’s perilous journey as he tries to find safe land after being adrift at sea. He has been struggling against the sea’s fury, which Poseidon stirred up against him. At this moment, he finally sees land and feels a glimmer of hope amidst his despair, but he’s unsure how to safely reach the shore due to the rough and rocky coastline he encounters. Odysseus spots a more promising part of the coastline. He sees the mouth of a calm river, which offers a safer place to land. Odysseus prays to the river god for mercy and safe passage as he attempts to reach the shore and after Odysseus reaches the shore, Athena intervenes by granting him sleep to alleviate his exhaustion and distress, promising that his journey will be over soon. It is here, on this strange land after sailing through treacherous waters that Odysseus meets Nausicaa and is eventually received as a guest by Alcinous who generously provides Odysseus with the ships that finally bring him home to Ithaca.

In other words, this is a scene where Odysseus finds hope, even if he had to fight for it. This is the hope that Castor is petitioned to instill within your heart.

For the water, I also used rainwater collected in a copper bowl as well, in addition to the spring water from the Roman Baths. I also used some seeds of specific, symbolic flowers in the ritual as well. There are also other things that went into the charm that I will not disclose publicly.

Conclusion

I have created this charm as per the instructions above and can confirm that — for me at least — the charm feels incredibly uplifting and warm and protective. There is a rustic feel to it, and divination on the charm’s outcome informed me that the charm will help bring in ‘emotional balance’ and aid in making space for happiness and joy whilst also guarding your peace. If anyone else plans to have a go at making this charm, I’d be eager to hear how the charm feels for you!

[Note: the shells and paper star depicted in the photos of this blog post are just for demonstration purposes. The ones I actually use for my personal rituals are kept private.]