#pharmakis

[mikeybooch]

Medea saving Jason from the Dragon of Colchis for @classicstober Day 7: Pharmakis. This is based off of a 5th century BCE kylix of Jason being expelled from the mouth of the dragon of Colchis as witnessed by Athene. The scene is a strange one, and may elude to plays that are now lost where Athene has some sort of involvement in Jason’s retrieval of the Golden Fleece. I wanted to recreate the scene with Medea, who, in sources that have survived to the present day, puts the dragon to sleep using her magic so that Jason can steal the fleece.

[crazycatsiren]

What I do need to use more in my magic work is ginger. If you were to ask my grandmother what she would use to chase away the devil, ginger might be at the top of her list.

[koraki-grimoire]

7 Laws of Foraging

[Disclaimer: These aren't actual legal rules, but important knowledge to avoid, you know, dying.]

Foraging herbs is an extremely good way to get both food and magik supplies on a budget, but mistakes can be dangerous and even deadly. These are some of the most important rules to follow if you want to be safe.

1. If you aren't entirely sure what a plant is, treat it like it's toxic. Even if you're mostly confident, you need to be absolutely certain before you put anything in your mouth, and ideally before you touch it. 2. Never assume plants away from home are the same as the ones where you usually forage. Generally speaking, once you change climate and/or time zones, at least some plants will change and lookalikes will appear. Also, some plants become more or less toxic with temperature and location changes--white clover is a good example of this. 3. Don't guess the safety of a plant you can't identify. Many extremely dangerous plants look unassuming and pleasant, and a lot of plants that look like murder in a leaf are totally harmless. Also, never consume a herb if you don't know its medicinal properties or if it'll interact with your medication or a health condition. If the name ends in -wort, it probably interacts with anti inflammatory meds, SSRIs, and/or heart medication, but other plants can, too. 4. When you learn a new plant's identification, learn its lookalikes, too. This is especially important for leafy plants, which are more likely to have dangerous lookalikes, but goes for all plants. This helps you know if it's safe to make a mistake (for example, wild blackberries have lookalikes, but they're all nearly identical edible berries), when you can't risk it, and what to compare. 5. Know what parts of a plant are safe, and know if its age affects its use or edibility. Some plants are edible when young, but extremely toxic when mature, or have edible roots but emetic flowers. 6. Know what assumptions you can make. Generally, if you can cook it or breathe it, you can burn it, if you can eat it, you can touch it, etc. 7. Remember that medicine is preferable to herbs for a reason. Herbs produce chemicals in different amounts, can be misidentified, and are generally unreliable. Pills are significantly less likely to accidentally give you an overdose. If you have access to working medication, that's always the first.

[koraki-pharmakis]

Pharmakeia, Kirke, Divinity, and Mortality

One thing that I love and find intensely interesting about the goddess, nymph, and/or hero Kirke is the fact that she exists in a space between mortal and divine in every portrayal, but is almost never a demigoddess. So I wanted to address and unpack that a bit, because I haven't seen much on it and it deserves attention.

First, Kirke as a very mortal goddess--this is how I'd classify her portrayal in the Odyssey, where she is clearly divine, but described as very reminiscent of a mortal. This is the origin of one of her most famous epithets, "of mortal speech." This is generally viewed as a unique trait of Kirke.

Second, Kirke as a godly mortal. She was sometimes worshipped with hero cultus, with a sacred space of hers being described as a tomb, generally reserved for dead mortal heroes. I don't believe she was ever viewed as fully mortal, but she was at least mortal adjacent, which is significant in and of itself, even if a rarer portrayal.

Generally, pharmakeia (the sorcery she performed, based in herbs) was seen as at least partly a divine power, but also, not fully in the hands of the gods. The theoi do not need herbs and witchcraft to work their wills, but working one's will through herbs and witchcraft must be at least partly based in a non-mortal power.

Kirke, in my opinion, embodies this divide. As the pharmakis goddess of Aiaia, she uses a craft both mortal and divine. The working of herbs for power is not the way of a full god, but using the power of the herbs is not the typical way of a mortal.

For clarity's sake, I am aware I am somewhat echoing arguments against witchcraft and pharmakeia in Hellenic Polytheist spheres, so I'd like to say that I do not believe pharmakeia to be a hubristic practice. Pharmakeia, in the hands of a mortal pharmakis, controls no god. Gods may refuse their aid, spells may fail and be broken. And, actually, this is another aspect of Kirke's story I find so applicable to pharmakeia: Hermes and the herb 'moly.'

Moly is a herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to protect against Kirke's enchantments. The fact that her pharmakeia is resisted with one little plant, and that the plant is given to a hero by a god, is not an accident.

This is a clear example of how pharmakeia may be overpowered by the gods, and some crafty mortals. Hermes prevented the manifestation of her charms completely and utterly. From this it follows that, outside of stories, the theoi may prevent any witchcraft from succeeding without their consent, and most likely do not need the mythic moly to do it.

But Kirke, the mortal-like goddess and divine mortal, does not need the aid of any god but herself to work her magiks. The gods may stop her, but never control her. She is not under the theoi, and she is not divorced from mortals. She holds the powers, the qualities, and the craft of both.

[veuveperdue]

[crazycatsiren]

Hecate and Circe will continue guiding my journey as a witch. With their blessings, I will not be afraid. 🔮

[crazycatsiren]

I don't have a dream job. I want to study and forage wild plants, grow and harvest herbs, make draughts and potions of them, and use them to transform my enemies into animals.

[crazycatsiren]

Me: *spills some freshly harvested and dried catnip while filling herb jars*

Me: "Oh the familiars are going to go to town in my room."