Comprehensive Goddess Nyx Invocation and Offerings Guide

Today we’ll cover the basics of the Goddess Nyx: who she is, how to invoke, and when to celebrate. the Goddess Nyx is one of the most popular Wiccan invocations, and everyone should have some way of doing it in their witchy practice.

Who is Nyx, Goddess of the Night?

Nyx is the goddess of the night. She is one of the eldest gods and is often depicted as a beautiful woman with wings on her back. Nyx has been worshiped by many cultures throughout history, including ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and many other cultures.

Nyx was not always seen as a goddess. Originally she was seen as an air spirit who had no gender or name. She was often associated with darkness and death in early cultures but eventually evolved into a goddess of night and magic.

The term nyx comes from the Greek word for “night” which means that it is appropriate that she be worshiped at night time when darkness has fallen over the earth. In some cases, people would worship Nyx during the day to ensure that they would be protected

Goddess Nyx in history and myth

Nyx is a Greek goddess of the night. She is one of the oldest deities in Greek mythology and was believed to be the personification of the night.

According to the Greek poet Hesiod, Nyx was the daughter of Chaos, the personification of the void that existed before the universe was created. Nyx was often depicted as a shadowy figure, draped in a cloak of darkness, and was associated with the underworld and death.

In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful and influential goddess. She was said to have given birth to many other deities, including the three Fates, the personifications of destiny; Hypnos, the god of sleep; and Thanatos, the god of death.

Nyx was also sometimes depicted as a protector of children and was associated with dreams and sleep.

Nyx was revered by the ancient Greeks, who believed that she had the power to bring dreams and visions to those who slept.

She was also sometimes seen as a symbol of the dark, mysterious aspects of the human soul. Despite her association with the darker aspects of life, Nyx was also believed to be a kind and benevolent goddess, who watched over and protected her followers.

How does Nyx appear?

In Greek mythology, Nyx was generally depicted as a shadowy figure, draped in a cloak of darkness. She was often shown as a woman with wings and was sometimes depicted as riding in a chariot drawn by horses or other animals.

Nyx was also sometimes depicted holding a torch or other light source, symbolizing her connection to the darkness of the night.

In artwork, Nyx was often shown with black or dark-colored hair and was often depicted wearing a long, flowing robe or gown.

She was also sometimes shown with a crown or other headdress, symbolizing her status as a goddess. Despite her association with the darkness and the underworld, Nyx was often depicted as a beautiful and majestic figure, radiating strength and power.

Nyx pronunciation and spelling

The name of the goddess, Nyx comes from ancient Greek: Nύξ or the modern spelling Nýx.

This simply means “night.” Many people pronounce it “nicks,” but this is slightly inaccurate as the “nu” in the middle is a Greek letter pronounced differently.

Without the ending “x” it should basically rhyme with “few,” so we could write it in modern English as “Newks.”

Working with Nyx and the dark aspects of the soul

It is important to note that beliefs and practices related to deity worship vary widely among different Wiccan traditions and individual practitioners. Some general principles for working with the goddess Nyx in Wicca might include:

• Honoring Nyx as a powerful and influential deity, and seeking to understand and connect with her energy and qualities.
• Learning about the mythology and history of Nyx and the fates, and how she has been revered and honored in different cultures and traditions.
• Considering the symbolism and meaning of Nyx in relation to your own spiritual practice, and how she might be incorporated into your rituals and devotions.
• Seeking guidance and inspiration from Nyx through meditation, prayer, and other spiritual practices.
• Being respectful and mindful of the boundaries and wishes of others when working with Nyx or other deities.

It is always important to approach deity worship with respect, humility, and a willingness to learn and grow.

Now you are ready for my version of Nyx Greek mythology invocation.

Goddess Nyx invocation

Goddess invocation can be used at a variety of times.

Nyx is a goddess of the night, the mother of sleep, dreams, and pleasures in love. She is also a goddess in charge of death and sorrows because she has a Roman association with Thanatos.

Invocation of Nyx might be for you if you like working at night or feel compelled by darkness and death. Also, if you feel a strong affinity for the moon or moon symbols.

The invocation can also be used for Full Moon and New Moon rituals.

Get creative!

I encourage you to come up with your own all-purpose invocation that can be used for any occasion. In this section, I’ll give you mine and explain each of the pieces.

I use three symbolic representations to place on my Wiccan altar to focus the invocation: mind, body, and spirit.

Making Moon Water

The first Nyx symbol is moon water. You can see how to make it above. Then it is important to put it in a ritualistic bowl for the invocation.

It would be cumbersome to describe the whole process here in words, but you can watch the simple process above.

The purpose of this is the symbol, so you will not need it for drinking. If you make this in preparation for the invocation, you can actually use this as part of the Nyx invocation ceremony. It doesn’t have to be completed.

Goddess Nyx stone

The stone I most associate with Nyx is quartz, though many people use onyx as well. The important part of this symbol is to have something to represent the physical form of Nyx.

Nyx is often associated with owls, so you could also use the feather of an owl. I do not have one, so I prefer the stone.

Because Nyx, goddess of sleep and dreams can help with sleep, you can infuse quartz with her energy after an invocation and then put it under your pillow to sleep better.

The Invocation

For the spirit, I burn a black candle. This completes the three symbolic representations: water for mind, stone for body, candle for spirit.

The invocation itself is a short poem. It should be something you connect with and should reference any of the information in this article.

Here is the one I wrote:

Dark of night
Under moon
Nyx magick
Make us swoon

Goddess Nyx
Hear us, hear us
Passion darkness
Make a fuss

Take this water,
smoke, and stone.
From beyond,
we do atone.

I bow before
the darkest night.
Descend upon us
and give us light.

Goddess Nyx offering

It is also common for many Nyx rituals and festivities to involve an offering.

The most ancient offering is simply to leave milk. This is not as common in modern Wicca, though.

The most basic offering is to pour out your moon water to return to the earth. This is because it takes the moon to the underworld, which the Goddess of crafting will be pleased with.

Nyx worship can include many offerings. Common offerings that might be made to Nyx could include:

• Libations of water or other beverages
• Incense or other fragrant herbs or oils
• Candles or other forms of light
• Flowers or other plant offerings
• Food or other material offerings

Again, it is important to note that these are just some examples, and the specific offerings that might be made to Nyx can vary widely among different practitioners.

Related reading

• Goddess Aradia Invocation
• Goddess Brighid Invocation
• Water Goddess Invocations
• A Dianic Wiccan Primer

References

• Solmsen, F. (1982). The Earliest Stages in the History of Hesiod’s Text. Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 86, 1. https://doi.org/10.2307/311181
• Russo, L. (2021). The Uncovering Mythology Collection: A 2 in 1 Guide Into The World of Greek and Norse Gods and Goddesses, The Myths and The Legends. JCG Publications.