|
Homeric Hymn
to Hermes:
I sing about Hermes, the Cyllenian slayer of Argus,
lord of Mt. Cyllene and Arcadia rich in flocks, the
messenger of the gods and bringer of luck, whom Maia, the
daughter of Atlas, bore, after uniting in love with Zeus.
She in her modesty shunned the company of the blessed gods
and lived in a shadowy cave; here the son of Cronus used to
make love to this nymph of the beautiful hair in the dark of
night, without the knowledge of immortal gods and mortal
humans, when sweet sleep held white-armed Hera fast.
But when the will of Zeus had been accomplished and her
tenth month was fixed in the heavens, she brought forth to
the light a child, and a remarkable thing was accomplished;
for the child whom she bore was devious, winning in his
cleverness, a robber, a driver of cattle, a guide of dreams,
a spy in the night, a watcher at the door, who soon was
about to manifest renowned deeds among the immortal gods.
Maia bore him on the fourth day of the month. He was born at dawn, by midday he was playing the
lyre, and in the evening he stole the cattle of far-shooting
Apollo.
So hail to you, son of Zeus and Maia. Hail, Hermes, guide and giver of grace and other good
things.3
Invocation to
Hermes-Mercury-Tjehuti:
Hail to you, Hermes-Mercury-Tjehuti,
Fleet-footed Messenger of the Gods,
In all your many faces.
Come down from Mount Olympus,
Fly in from the mighty city of Roma,
Rise up from the land
of Kemet,
Race across land and sea with your legendary speed,
And come join me this day!
As Hermes you are known as Argophontes,
The Psychopomp who guides souls to the Underworld,
Who, with your wand, bestows and banishes sleep and guides
us through dreams,
You whose cleverness and oratory is unmatched,
With honeyed tongue and charm you ease your way through
conflict,
Divine trickster extraordinaire,
Patron of learning and the sciences,
Patron of travelers on their journeys,
Of thieves and merchants,
Of wrestlers and magicians.
Light the
orange candle
As Mercury you rule communication and commerce.
Light the
yellow candle
As Tjehuti you are the Voice of Ra,
Keeper of the Akashic Records and Karma,
Great one of truth, wisdom, and knowledge,
Great of Magick, Great of
Healing.
Light
the purple candle
Hermes-Mercury-Tjehuti, I welcome you with an open mind and
an open heart!
Sprinkle
dusted peppermint onto the candles and/or place freshly
picked peppermint by the candles
Spend time with the god's presence and/or tell him of any
financial, communicative, motivational, career, educational,
or any other problem you're having that is related to his
many powers if you wish his help. Remember, his aid is less
direct than many of the other deities', for he is the god of
cunning, guile, and oratory. Finally, close by saying:
Thank
you for coming, blessed Hermes! Come and go in peace!
Extinguish the
orange candle
Thank you for
coming, blessed Mercury! Come and go in peace!
Extinguish the
yellow candle
Thank you for
coming, blessed Tjehuti! Come and go in peace!
Extinguish the
purple candle
If you had freshly picked peppermint, leave it outside as an
offering.
back to Ritual page |
LORE:
The Mercuralia is the Roman celebration known as the
"Festival of Mercury." It is held on the 15th of
May and was celebrated by all merchants. Mercury, however,
is the Roman incarnation of the Greek god Hermes. The sacred
number of Hermes is four, he loves peppermint, and it is
said that his mother Maia gave birth to him on the fourth
day of the month. The month of May is, of course, named
after Maia.
In my attempt to fuse the two holidays to honor a wider
concept of Hermes, I celebrate the Mercuralia on the 4th of
May, where it doubles as his birthday in the month of his
mother.
The Greeks believed that the Egyptian god Tjehuti (Thoth)
was also an incarnation/aspect of Hermes (or vice versa).
Therefore I honor the tri-form nature of this god by the
name of Hermes-Mercury-Tjehuti. I see Mercury as the most
materially-oriented of the three aspects, focusing on
business, commerce, and finances. I see Tjehuti as the most
spiritually-oriented of the three aspects, focusing on
wisdom, knowledge, abstract concepts, and the higher self. I
see Hermes as a dynamic balance of the two, the aspect that
binds them together.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS:
1 orange candle (to represent Hermes)
1 yellow candle (to represent Mercury)
1 purple candle (to represent Tjehuti/Thoth)
Some form of peppermint (whether dusted or freshly picked) |