Hades: Myth, Magic & Modern Devotion

by Jamie Waggoner, Morpheus Ravenna (Foreword by)

Overview

Build a Life-Affirming Relationship with the Lord of the Dead

My name is more often spoken with revile than gratitude or adoration. If only the living could see the power of their veneration.…Why would they not want to see the home of their ancestors thrive?

Aides. Aidoneus. The Unseen One. Known by many monikers, Hades is one of the most recognizable yet misunderstood Greek gods. Through myth, storytelling, and practical exercises, Jamie Waggoner shows you how Hades is more than the keeper of souls and the land of the dead. She reveals his true nature and provides everything you need to develop your unique devotional practice.

Discover Hades' real story with passages written in his own words, excerpts from historical texts, and Jamie's personal experiences. Cultivate sacred interactions with him through rituals, trance journeys, altar tending, and other magical activities. With Hades' wisdom, you will develop a deep appreciation for the glorious spectrum of experience we can have in this mortal lifetime.

 

Includes a foreword by Morpheus Ravenna, author of The Magic of the Otherworld

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738775753
Publisher:	Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Publication date:	02/08/2024
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	298,348
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jamie Waggoner is a Pagan priestess, philosopher, writer, and teacher. She cofounded the Way of Weaver, a gender-inclusive program of magical inquiry, social justice, and community building. Jamie has studied folklore, mythology, and the occult for more than twenty years and has been a devotee of Hades since 2016. Visit her at JamieWaggoner.com.

Morpheus Ravenna (Pronouns: Sí/Hir) is a genderfluid sorcerer, artist, and writer residing in the East Bay area of California. Sí is a dedicant of the Morrígan, with a practice rooted in animism, folk magic, and Celtic polytheism. An initiate of the Anderson Feri tradition of witchcraft, sí has practiced devotional polytheism and the magical arts for over twenty-five years. Sí is the author of The Book of the Great Queen (Concrescent Press, 2015) and a priest and co-founder of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood.

Morpheus makes hir living as a tattoo artist, and sí creates devotional artworks and sorcerous crafts in a variety of media. Sí also practices medieval armored combat and is very fond of spears. Morpheus can be reached through hir website at BansheeArts.com.

Table of Contents

Contents

Exercise List xi

Foreword by Morpheus Ravenna xiii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: The Unseen One 9

Chapter 2: Host of Many 33

Chapter 3: Notorious 53

Chapter 4: Good Counsel 69

Chapter 5: The Unbreakable 87

Chapter 6: The Harrowing Journey 103

Chapter 7: Shadow and Desire 125

Chapter 8: The Good Death 143

Chapter 9: When Gods Come Calling 163

Chapter 10: Oaths and Vengeance 185

Conclusion 207

Acknowledgments 211

Appendix A: Table of Correspondences 213

Appendix B: Hades Epithets 215

Appendix C: Hades Family Tree 217

Glossary 219

Bibliography 225

Editorial Reviews

"Hades is a wonderfully lyrical book that will forever change the way you think about one of the most dreaded Greek gods, Hades. Drawing upon deeply personal experience and detailed research, Waggoner teaches the perfect blend of mythology, history, and practice. This book is loaded with storytelling, correspondences, rituals, and exercises that will enrich the practice of both beginners and adepts."
—Kate Freuler, author of Of Blood and Bones

"Waggoner has created a stunning patchwork quilt...seamlessly incorporating the beauty of folklore with the knowledge of history while providing readers the tools they need to connect with something so much bigger than themselves."
—Amanda Woomer, author and creator of The Feminine Macabre: A Woman's Journal of All Things Strange and Unusual

"Waggoner expertly guides the reader through the lore, correspondences, and magical practices of the Unseen One. Her personal insight adds a profound depth to the book, especially the various trance journeys to the Underworld. Highly recommended."
—Astrea Taylor, author of Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods and Intuitive Witchcraft

"A volume full of clear-eyed wisdom and practical exercises....Hades is packed with information about herbs to be used for offerings and in magical work, rituals and meditative practices to begin or deepen a relationship with this god...and a startling variety of hands-on exercises that bring it all together. Open it to discover fascinating tidbits drawn from history and mythology, or use it as a guide to a profoundly sacred path, but read this book."
—Terence P Ward, editor of Host of Many: Hades and His Retinue

"Hades is simultaneously celebration, evocation, and exploration....Waggoner's journey toward Hades is frightening and exhilarating, and her personal anecdotes and exercises invite the reader to explore their own relationship with the much-maligned Lord of Tartaros and Elysium. This is a much-needed text in an age when so many, even in the Pagan/polytheist community, fear death and the Holy Powers who watch over us as one life ends and the next begins."
—Rebecca Buchanan, author of Host of Many: Hades and His Retinue and editor of Eternal Haunted Summer

"A comprehensive and insightful exploration of the Greek god Hades. Waggoner draws on a wide range of sources, including myth, folklore, and her own personal experiences, to paint a complex and nuanced portrait of this often-misunderstood deity....Waggoner's writing is clear and engaging, and she provides a wealth of information that is both scholarly and accessible. The book is a well-researched work that I believe will be a great source of inspiration for many Pagan practitioners."
—Dean Jones, host of the Calling the Quarters podcast

From the Publisher