The Sacred Kykeon

Kykeon , a drink closely associated with the mysteries at Eleusis, has over the years caused a great deal of speculation – especially from those who wish to solve its secrets.  Many believe that it was a psychoactive drink, which may have aided the initiates to experience the ceremonies and the Gods during such rites.   The actual recipe was a closely guarded secret, held by two priestly families who held offices at Eleusis for many generations – and even the exact role the drink played in the mysteries at Eleusis is only speculation, as very little of the secret rites which took place there for many hundreds of years are known.  The “mysteries” at Eleusis will probably remain exactly that, as the initiates who took their oaths at this sanctuary honoured the vows of secrecy they took.

“I fasted, I drank the kykeon” (Clement of Alexandria, writing on the Eleusian mysteries, 2nd century CE)

 This statement of course is two-fold, and provides us with an additional clue.  Fasting has long been a part of religious rites in many cultures, it renders an individual into a more receptive state for spiritual experiences, and has the additional purpose of purifcation (depending on the period of the fast, as well as the nature of the fast, ie. what is excluded), thus combined with a sacred drink, the effects of that drink would be amplified.  Even drinking a simple glass of wine after spending just a day fasting, can cause the effects of that one glass to be significantly different from what it would have been like if you drank it with a three-course meal.

So what do we know about the ingredients that Kykeon might have contained?   From the Homeric Hymn we know that it was made from barley, water and pennyroyal (a variety of mint, with strong carminative, which is also used as a muscle relaxant for such things as menstrual complaints and tummy upsets.  It is also known for its properties as an abortive and should be used by caution by pregnant women, or those trying to conceive.   The fact that it was an abortive would have been known to the priesthood of Eleusis who were thought to be well versed in the use of pharmakeia, the use of herbs for healing and poisoning.

That wonderfully quaint herbal, Culpepper says of this herb:

‘Drank with wine, it is good for venomous bites, and applied to the nostrils with vinegar revives those who faint and swoon. Dried and burnt, it strengthens the gums, helps the gout, if applied of itself to the place until it is red, and applied in a plaster, it takes away spots or marks on the face; applied with salt, it profits those that are splenetic, or liver grown…. The green herb bruised and putinto vinegar, cleanses foul ulcers and takes away the marks of bruises and blows about the eyes, and burns in the face, and the leprosy, if drank and applied outwardly…. One spoonful of the juice sweetened with sugar-candy is a cure for hooping-cough.’

Hardly an ingredient which is likely to lead to hallucinations then. 

Barley mixed with water will soon ferment and create an alcoholic drink, which is the simplest explanation for the theory that the drink encouraged an altered state of mind.  The theory that the barley may have contained ergot, which may have caused psychoactive effects is highly unlikely as ergot is very difficult to control and administer in a safe manner, so if this was used one would expect that there would have been many accounts of initiates not returning from Eleusis, or many people dying or at the least convulsions or illnesses, but this does not seem to be the case.  Where as a sweet minty alcoholic drink might account for the fact that the drink seems to have been viewed as something very pleasant.  Also, with Gods such as Iachhus, who was often equated to Dionysus, leading the processions at Eleusis with Hekate (both these gods were depicted with twin torches), the idea of an alcoholic drink seems to be more likely.

The other suggestion which, though also just speculation, might be more likely, is that opium was added to the kykeon.  This is based on the numerous depictions of poppies and poppy-heads in depictions of both Demeter and Persephone associated with Eleusis.  Opium would have been easier to administer and control, and would certainly have caused an altered state of mind.   Or perhaps, as some have suggested, the secret psychoactive ingredient may have been psilocybin mushrooms, which would also account for the idea that the drink was psychoactive.

But just as likely as the above, it might have contained no psychoactive ingredients at all, and may have been just a very pleasant drink!  And why ever not?  Just because it is a drink associated with an ancient mystery cult, does not necessarily mean that it had to be psychoactive at all – it might just have been a pleasant drink!

How to Burn Incense Grains!

There are always questions which people are reluctant to ask about, after all it might seem that it is a pretty straightforward and easy thing to do and that everyone should know!   One of those questions which seem to shyly surface every now and then is “how to burn grain incense”.  The following is a reproduction of an article I wrote for avalonia.co.uk and which was subsequently reproduced in a couple of books and in magazines over the years.  I hope that it helps those of you who have been pondering this rather simple, but highly arousing and sublime practice with fear!

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Burning Incence Grains

HOW TO BURN INCENSE GRAINS
(Written by Sorita d’Este for avalonia.co.uk, 1998, updated 2004)

Loose incense grains are frequently used during Wiccan ceremonies, as offerings, for purificatory rites, for consecrations and as a symbolical representation of the element of Air. The grains are placed on charcoal blocks in a fireproof container or censer which is placed on the altar and may sometimes be taken around the circle, especially when performing purifications or blessings. In order to burn loose incense you will need:

” Incense grains (a specially prepared blend, or a resin that can be burned by itself, for example frankincense)

” Charcoal disks

” A heat resistant dish or censer made for the purpose

” You will also need matches or a lighter with which to light the charcoal.

You should first prepare the container in which you will be burning the incense. It is a good idea to place some clean sand or gravel at the base of the container as this will help with heat insulation and will also allow air to circulate more effectively to the burning charcoal, which in turn will allow both the charcoal and incense to burn more evenly. Once you have prepared the container the next step is to light the charcoal block, this is done by holding the edge of the disk in a flame (a lighter or candle flame works well). If you are worried about burning your fingers, use an old pair or tweezers or tongs to hold it with.

Once it ignites you will need to place it in the censer and allow it to ignite properly. Sometimes charcoal can be troublesome and in some instances you may have to relight it, but with most good quality self-igniting charcoal blocks you should be able to see the sparks travelling across the block. Once the charcoal is fully lit, place approx ¼ to ½ teaspoon of incense grains on the block and enjoy! Different types of incense grains and blends burn at a different pace from each other, as a result you will need to keep an eye on it and add more grains as need be.

Common Sense Warnings:

” If you suffer from respiratory problems, or are prone to allergies, it is best to avoid the use of incense in enclosed spaces.

” Do not leave burning incense unattended

” Treat burning charcoal with caution; keep away from flammable objects at all times.

” On occasion a charcoal block may sparkle profusely upon ignition, so take extra care when lighting as the sparks may ignite nearby flammable objects or cause damage to clothing, carpets or upholstery.

Kyphi

A few months ago I was honoured by a gift of handmade Kyphi from a friend and Priestess who works extensively with the Egyptian Gods.  She prepared the Kyphi in the traditional manner, the result of which are tiny pellets of incense which are then burnt on charcoal.  The process is long and very labour intensive and one which does not just involve throwing a few ingredients together.

Kyphi is possibly the oldest known incense compound which has been recorded, amongst other things, as one of the items which will provide pleasure to kings in the afterlife.  Lists of ingredients and instructions were recorded on the walls of temples at Edfu and Dendera.  Incense played a very essential role in religious ritual, often Myrrh would be burnt at dawn, Frankincense at Midday and Kyphi at dawn.  Its gentle and subtle aroma filling the temple. And as Manniche writes in “Sacred Luxuries” “The gods had favoured Egypt with a climate that was admirably suited for the production of floral fragrances“, these local ingredients combined with exotic fragrances (which were highly valued) were used as offerings to the gods, and were used in cosmetics (for kings and ordinary folk alike), often exquisitively presented in beautiful jars and containers.  The more exotic the ingredients and more beautiful the presentation, the more the fragrance would be valued. 

The key ingredients in the recorded recipes include ingredients such as honey, wine, raisins,  cinnamon bark, spikenard, cyperus and sweet flag, cedar, juniper berries, mastic, frankincense, myrrh and benzoin – and variations do occur.  The resulting paste was also famed for its medicinal values.  There are four existing recipes for kyphi, two of which survived in Greek. 

The word “Kyphi” is the latin version of the Greek transcription of the Egyptian word “kapet”.  This word originally would have been used for any fumigation substance.  However, by the end of the pharaonic period the name had already become synonomous with one particular blend, that which we now name Kyphi. 

The Greek physician Galen (circa 200 AD) provides us with the best starting point for a study of Kyphi, as he is also the most recent source.  Galen was a student of medicine at the famed school of Alexandria and wrote many excellent works himself.   Galen records a recipe by Rufus, which was also recorded by Damocrates.  This recipe can be dated to around the 1st century AD and uses raisins, honey and wine as its base, with many other ingredients.  This is all mashed together to make a paste adn then shaped into pellets for censing the gods with.  The recipes attributed to Dioscorides (1st century AD), the Edfu and Philae (2nd century BC) and Manetho’s (3rd century BC) recipes all repeat the base for the incense as being made from raisins, honey and wine - whilst some of the other ingredients vary.  Some of which have still not been clearly identified, making it technically impossible to make an exact replica of this famed fume! 

(But doesn’t stop us fanatics from trying our best!)

The plants I dig are mine.

Around this time of the year even city dwellers unfamiliar with countrylife and ways can have their little bit of it here in the UK as the sweet juicy fruit of the bramble ripens, growing not just in country hedges and lanes, but also on bits of waste land all over the cities and towns of these isles.  We are very lucky in that there are loads of blackberries, but also a whole lot of other wild hedge fruits and nuts growing in abundance within walking distance from our home, but even when we lived in the Heathrow flight path in London this was always still part of my life, but not just in the Autumn when the sweet berries are hanging in dark shiny clusters, the entire year round.

In “The Teachings of Don Juan (A Yaqui Way of Knowledge)” there is a passage which sums it up nicely: ‘”The plants I dig out and cut are mine”, he said.  “It is as though they were myself; …”‘.  As a magician I try and gather as many of ther herbs, roots and barks as I need for philtres, incenses and oils as I can.  Of course some need to be imported from other parts of the world and in some instances I have been able to obtain what I need through swapping what I have gathered for something someone else who shares the passion I do have been able to find.  For me a connection to the plant is essential and although when I was younger I might have considered using plants which originated in “place unknown” I could not do that so easily now.

My friend and magical brother the English Root Magician John Canard loves qouting Empedocles at me on this subject.  Of course Empedocles is one of the original western root magicians who lived many thousands of years ago and who also came up with the earliest known system for the four elements which developed into what is used today by Golden Dawn magicians and derivatives from that system, as well as Wicca and a number of Pagan traditions who base their rituals on that of Wicca.  Empedocles wrote “Earth causes its own substance to increase” which is true, but back in his day we didn’t have industrial farming methods which destroys nearly everything except the crop in its way; nor did we have strip mining of crystals with dynamite in order to supply the new age market with shiny crystals. 

John is a keen gardener and I have learned a lot from him since the journey I started with the lady who was his mentor and whom has been exceedingly patient with me over the last ten years.  One of the practices which is considered very important in the tradition which is taught is that one is to spend at least a year, under supervision of the teacher (who acts more like a guide, and not at all like a “High” anything) simply learning about the plants in your local area.  And you have to do it yourself, with good books and through speaking to local people.  John wrote about “Home Grown Protection” in Chapter 4 of his book “Defences Against the Witches’ Craft” in which he provides advice and ideas on how plants can be grown (and otherwise used) around the home for the purpose of protection against malefic magick.   What is important however is that there is a connection between the user of the plants who wants to tap into its magical qualities and the plant itself.  Those of you reading this who have ever dug up a plant, or cut a wand from a hazel with magical intent will know that it is not at all an experience you forget.  This connection is something which is being missed out on by those who purchase their plant material from large companies.

I remember many years ago taking a group of people for a Beltane celebration in a large London park, and half those present couldn’t tell Hawthorn blossoms from those of the Chestnut trees.  After that I organised bi-annual outings with pagans and other magical folk in London to go explore the plant (and sometimes animal) life in London’s parks and woods; I learned a lot from those experiences myself too – sometimes not so much about the plants, as about the individuals I was spending time with!  For example someone who was making a lot of “Media Witch” appearances came along on one such and it transpired that she couldn’t even recognise a Holly bush, nor an Oak from a Rowan. 

Maybe it is not necessary to be able to know these things for our own survival anymore, after all supermarkets can provide us with all the food we need at surprisingly low prices.  But maybe if we name ourselves as followers of Nature’s Cycles, which is what most of the modern Pagan traditions are build on through divisions such as the Wheel of the Year – then should we not also be able to understand what it is based on?

When I dig a plant, I do so with intent.  Because I have a use for that plant.  I wouldn’t sacrifice its life otherwise.

Zodiacal Stones

Zodiacal attributions for gems have flowered to such an extent that many stones are attributed to a number of the zodiacal signs, just like the idea of stones associated with each month, the idea of stones associated with a particular sunsign is a popular one today.  This old poem provides one such set of attributions, it is of course not definitive, as there are many others associated with each birthsign also!

Natal Crystals

Knowing, using or wearing a crystal or stone associated with your birthday is a very old practice and as popular today as always.  The practice of attributing stones to specific months of the year, whose virtues were believed to be transmitted to the bearers of their natal stones can be traced back to Josephus in the first century CE – though of course it might be a lot older.  This idea was further developed by St Jerome in the early part of the fifth century CE.  Both authors specifically refer to the High Priest’s Breastplate, and the twelve stones being attributed to the months of the year and signs of the zodiac.  Curiously the wearing of natal stones for their properties is not recorded until eighteenth century Poland.  The influence of Jews who settled in Poland and who were familiar with the High Priest’s Breastplate has been suggested by Kunz as the most likely cause for the development of this custom.

What follows is an old rhyme which records the crystal for each month, other attributions are sometimes given according to the zodiacal sign.