30 Days of Hela – Sacred Time

Something that all divine beings hold in common is a set of important times of year, whether these are times of day, days themselves, months, holidays or chunks of a year. Aphrodite and Valentine’s day are usually linked as well as Freyr and the harvest time in the early fall. Hela also has her own special dates and observances that I have adopted as times of the year that are most important to her. Starting from the largest amount of time to the smallest, I want to examine the days and times that I believe bring me closest to her.

Winter is usually linked with Hela. The end of the cycle, winter is the season of the dead so naturally Hela as Goddess of Death would be part of it. Personally, I tend to question the overall assumption that Hela and winter are the best match. Seasonally I feel that Hela is better associated with a fall/winter connection. As Fall ends and the last vestiges of life begin to disappear, winter begins and death ends the cycle. Most people, however associate Hela with winter.

There is really only one holiday that I tend to associate with Hela and it is pretty obvious when you look at when I started my 30 Days of postings. November 1st, also known as the Day of the Dead, is Hela’s most important day of the year. I know, I know…but what about Halloween? While it is a great Goth Holiday, November 1st is the day to celebrate those who have passed beyond and the give thanks to Hela for keeping our ancestors safe. I still love Halloween but I now have a double holiday to celebrate and give thanks to my Goddess.

The third time seems a little obvious but the hours between dusk and dawn are very much part of Hela’s prevue. She loves to watch as the sun sets and the moon rises. The dark is warm to her, and following Hela proves to me why I have always been a night person. The spirits of the dead have an easier time crossing over in the evening, able to watch over friends and family alike. The night is beautiful, as is my Goddess.

At the bottom of this post I wanted to include a song that reminds me of Hela. The band is the Changelings and they are a haunting, darkwave band that I can’t help but think of Hela when I hear them. I hope you all enjoy them.