#incantations

Hades 2 players will be familiar with the incantation "Askion kataski!", which Melinoë uses when casting spells at her cauldron.

Hades is relatively good about including references to obscure source material, so I figured that this was probably a real incantation. But I didn't recognize it, and I couldn't find anything on it until recently.

I've been going through The Hekataeon, which, if you don't know, is the best modern grimoire of Hekate magic. It incorporates a lot of historical material, including PGM incantations and traditional folk techniques. Guess what I found:

There it is! As soon as I found this incantation in The Hekataeon, I knew it had to be legit.

It's called the Ephesia Grammata, the Ephesian Letters. It's an example of voces magicae, nonsense or pseudo-Greek words that make up incantations in Greco-Egyptian magic. They're supposed to represent the secret tongue or names of the gods, which enable the magician to call and compel divine forces. The Wikipedia article on the Ephesia Grammata is pretty sparse, but I was able to find some more information on them in my books:

With few exceptions, "mystical" words or formulas do not appear in Greek tablets of the classical and Hellenistic periods, in contrast to the richly variegated language of tablets in the Roman period (first century CE onward). But these exceptions are interesting and important. The first involves a set of six terms, called ephesia grammata, first attested in a fragment of Anaxilas, a comic poet of the fourth century BCE: "(an unnamed person)... carries around marvelous Ephesian letters in sewn pouches. These terms (askion, kataskion, lix, tetrax, damnameneus, and aison/aisia) were believed to possess the ability to endow those who wore them (especially boxers, so it seems) with great power, both defensive and aggressive. They remained well known for centuries, appearing in several later spells and charms. The Christian writer, Clement of Alexandria (ca. 200 CE) not only lists the terms but calls them "famous among many people." More significantly, they appear in at least one lead amulet from the Hellenistic period and thus clearly establish the use of "mystical" terms (voces mysticae) long before their widespread circulation from the first century CE onward. This folded tablet from Crete, dating to the fourth century BCE, must have been carried as a protective amulet (line 20 speaks of protecting the wearer from hostile spells); it contains several of the ephesia grammata: aski and kataski (lines 9-10), lix (lines 5 and 10), forms of tetrax (lines 5, 11-12), and damnameneus (line 16). A second exception is a curious stone monument from Greece, dating to the late fifth century BCE, which Jeffery takes to be a thank offering by an unnamed person for the successful punishment of a personal enemy. She offers the following tentative reconstruction of the text: "The Ephesian vengeance was sent down (?); first Hecate injures (??) the possessions (??) of Megara in all things; then Persephone already is reporting all the (prayers?) to the gods."

— John G. Gager, Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World

TL;DR, the Ephesia Grammata are one of the oldest examples of voces magicae!

Regarding what the words mean, and where they came from:

The most spectacular transformation uncovered by scholars is a set of hocus-pocus words known as the ephesia grammata, which turn out to derive from early hexametrical verses in which the god Paian (Apollo) promises protection from dangers on earth or sea or sky. "Paieon, for in every direction you send averting charms, | and you spoke these immortal verses to mortal men: | "As down the shady mountains in a dark-and-glittering land| a child leads out of Persephone's garden by necessity for milking| that four-footed holy attendant of Demeter,| a she-goat with an untiring stream of rich milk." The first few words of Paian's averting charm, "As down the shadowy mountain" (hossa kata skiarōn oreōn) become aski kataski, while the "goat" (aix) and "four-footed one"  (tetrabēmona) become lix and tetrax. These meaningless words, collected together as aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, aision, and damnameneus, are known as the ephesia grammata, probably originally meaning "averting words" (taking ephesia from ephiemi, to avert), but later understood to mean "words from Ephesus." The late lexicon of Photius describes them as incomprensible charms that brought invincibility to an Ephesian wrestler, but also as warding magics (alexipharmaka).

— Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World.

AFAIK "askios" (ἄσκῐος) also means "shadowless."

The ASKION KATASKION portion only appears once in the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) a set of Greco-Egyptian magical texts. They appear in PGM LXX 4-25, "Charm of Hekate Ereschigal [sic] against fear of punishment." In this spell, they appear as "ASKEI KATASKEI." The spell instructs the magician to recite the incantation at a crossroads and then flee, "because it is at those places that she [Hekate] appears." So these words are even associated with Hekate specifically!

I didn't personally find any examples of Melinoë's "Kataskion aski!" reversal, but even that reads as authentic, since a lot of voces magicae are palindromic or other variations on a theme.

Coffers overflow. Wealth is multiplied. All shall be blessed with riches. Sobek provides! Sobek-Ra, Sobek-Ra, Sobek-Ra.

I've been gone a minute, been working on moving abroad and finishing up my book on ancient ritual magic- should be done by June/July 2025.

However, I've compiled the most important information on how to get started with sorcery all in a simple guide! A simple resource of everything we have covered on the patreon in the past 2 years, how to begin sorcery! We cover ritual robes, makeup, tools, spell ingredients, magical hours, moon phases, incantations, protective magic, simple ancient divination methods, and some secret names of the gods which have never been shared here before!

You can check it out on my patreon

Sound has been used in magick and ritual practices across nearly every spiritual and mystical tradition, because it is one of the most primordial forces—vibrating through all levels of existence. In magick, sound is more than just a sensory experience; it is a tool of transformation, manifestation, and alignment.

The Foundational Principle: Vibration

In Hermeticism (especially the Kybalion), one of the fundamental laws is:

“All is vibration.”

Sound is vibratory energy, and when directed with intention, it can shift consciousness, environments, and outcomes.

Types Of Sound In Magick

Voice (Chanting, Speaking, Whispering):

• Chanting (mantras, divine names, affirmations)- Repetition of sacred phrases raises energy and focuses intent. Often used in Wicca, ceremonial magick, and Eastern traditions. Examples include “So mote it be,” “Om,” “Eh-heh-yay,” etc.

• Spoken Words / Enchantments- Words of power are believed to shape reality. The act of naming or commanding (e.g., “I banish thee…”) holds deep magical authority. In chaos magick, sigils are activated with spoken intent.

• Whispers or Breath Magick- Used in folk magick for secrecy or stealth (e.g., whispering into herbs or charms). Breath combined with spoken words transfers life force (prana, chi) into the object.

Musical Instruments (Drums, Bells, Bowls, Rattles):

• Drums- Used in shamanic and tribal traditions to induce trance states or call spirits. Beat mimics the heartbeat of the Earth—steady rhythm grounds and aligns.

• Bells- Clear stagnant energy and banish negativity. Used in ritual openings or closings. In some traditions, they “wake up” spirits or deities.

• Singing Bowls / Gongs- Create harmonic frequencies that balance chakras or sacred spaces. Used for healing, meditation, and raising vibrational resonance.

• Rattles- Shake up and move energy, break energetic blocks. Often used in indigenous or animistic practices.

Tones and Frequencies:

• Solfeggio Frequencies- Specific tones thought to heal, cleanse, and activate different aspects of being. Examples: 396 Hz (liberation from fear), 528 Hz (DNA repair, love).

• Binaural Beats- Used in modern magick to alter consciousness—help induce theta (trance) or gamma (mystic unity) brain states. Often paired with visualization or journeying practices.

• Harmonics and Drones- Used in eastern tantra and western esotericism to induce deep trance or inner stillness. Drones dissolve linear time, anchoring the mind in timeless space.

Music:

• Ritual Music- Custom compositions or ambient tracks are used to build atmosphere, open portals, and align energy with specific deities, elements, or spirits. Often employed in Wicca, ceremonial magick, and Thelemic rites.

• Personal Power Songs- In shamanic traditions, practitioners discover or craft a song that embodies their spirit or their intent. These are used in healing, travel, or battle.

Elemental Correspondences:

• Air- Whistling, flute

• Fire- Drums, crackling sounds

• Water- Singing, flowing melodies

• Earth- Deep tones, stomps, didgeridoo

Sound As A Magickal Tool

• Raising Power- Chanting or drumming raises a group’s energy (in coven or circle work) before directing it toward a spell’s goal.

• Trance and Meditation- Monotone chanting or rhythmic music slows the brainwaves and opens the door to altered states—critical for astral projection, pathworking, or deep magick.

• Clearing and Consecration- A bell, tone, or clap of sound can banish negative entities or cleanse tools, rooms, or auras.

• Invocation and Evocation- Sound acts as a call or signal—vocal invocation draws spirits, gods, or forces; sound shapes the subtle energy that forms the bridge between realms.

• Creation of Sigils and Talismans- Whispering intent or chanting during the crafting of a sigil or talisman imbues it with life—turning symbol into spell.

Cultural Examples

• Vedic Hinduism: The universe is created through sound (Shabda)—Om being the primal sound.

• Kabbalah: Hebrew letters are said to carry vibrational power. Vocalizing them in rituals opens specific spiritual pathways.

• Druidry: Bardic traditions hold that song and poetry are magickal acts that can influence minds, nature, and spirit.

• Voodoo / Afro-Caribbean Traditions: Drumming and song are essential to call the Loa or Orishas.

Sound Magick In Practice (Examples)

• Chakra Alignment with Vocal Toning- Toning “LAM,” “VAM,” “RAM,” etc., to align each chakra during ritual.

• Bell & Candle Banishing- Ring a bell three times around a space while intoning a banishing phrase.

• Trance Drumming- 4–7 beats per second drum rhythm to induce a shamanic state and journey to the Lower or Upper World.

• Mantra Spellwork- Repeating a deity’s name or power word (e.g., “Brigid,” “Awen,” “Lux”) while visualizing your intent.

Sound in magick is not just decoration—it is a primary force of will and manifestation. It bridges the seen and unseen, the body and spirit, intention and outcome. Whether through ancient chants, primal drumbeats, sacred names, or crafted harmonics, sound moves energy, and with it, the world.