ISO: Modern Enlightenment

Original Plans (Days 1 - 3 (daytime))

By Saturday (2 days before the new moon) -- Theme: Preparation/Cleaning

Get into the right mood and mindset by cleansing with smoke and fire

House clean, purged of stuff we don't need, and tidied.

Do grocery shopping as needed for baking projects and such for the coming festival.

Sunday, February 7 (Day before the new moon) -- Theme: Cleansing

Techno music playing in the house

Cleaning and washing. Use the baijiu in washing water and in a spritz bottle and bell and drum? to loosen the energy in the home

Sing and dance?? Rattle the energy in the house loose

Monday, February 8 (New Moon) -- In US, Take day off -- Theme: Purification

Smoke the house then fan the corners

Before nightfall, open all windows and let sunshine and clean air come through the house. Spend the day with all windows and doors open to allow for everything clean out. Fans running and everything moving.

Sweep the corners with the broom and push the energy out the front door

Burn lemon and mint oils in khernips? -- Make khernips early on

Play music (woodwind music) throughout the house during daylight hours

How Those Days Played Out

These two days were originally going to be two days of different kinds of cleaning. One was going to be a day of cleaning the house (picking up) and then one of washing and then one of purifying. Instead, we spent Saturday and Sunday cleaning and cleaning. That mostly meant sweeping, moving furniture, and putting everything away. There was a lot of sorting and organizing that happened, and it definitely took two whole days to do. 

One of the big things we did was set up a proper working altar outside. Spouse cleaned everything and put together all of the stuff we'd need for it. They lit candles everywhere outside and burned lots of incense. It was beautiful.We got up and went running most of these days as a way to get our heads "into the game," as it were. Then we got to work and cleaned during the daylight hours and often into the evening. Getting enough sleep was important for both of us, although we didn't eat quite enough or well enough during the process. 

We started fasting just before sundown on February 8 - the beginning of Hekate's Deipnon.

Journal Excerpts

Feb 6 - Hestia: "Sitting near the stove, I anointed the range with wine and felt a sweet homeyness wash over me from Hestia's corner."

Feb 6 - Fire: "While I was putting together some laundry stuff outside, having meditated with Hekate, Skye's (Spouse) notes that were hanging up at one of the shrines caught on fire. Three of his masks were fine, and the closest one was only singed. However, the fire felt like a big message to both of us." We proceeded to divine the meaning of the fire and then called it a night as we were both really rattled by the event.