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HEKATE
A Spiritual Journey
Hail Hekate
Bestower of grace,
Keeper of the keys of the cosmos,
Blessed art thou amongst
the Goddesses
and Blessed are we transformed
in your presence
Holy Hekate,
Mother of all,
Gladden our hearts now,
As we devote ourselves
To you, Soteira
So Mote
It Be
Who Is Hekate?
Hekate is the Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft. She was once a widely revered and influential goddess, but her reputation has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron. Nothing could be further from the true image of Hekate's original glory.
A beautiful and powerful goddess in her own right, the Greek goddess Hekate was the only one of the ancient Titans who Zeus allowed to retain her authority once the Olympians seized control. Zeus shared, only with her, the awesome power of giving or withholding from humanity anything she desired.
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Usually classified as a "moon goddess", her kingdoms were actually three-fold; the earth, sea, and sky. Having the power to create or withhold storms undoubtedly played a role in making her the goddess who was the protector of shepherds and sailors.
A lover of solitude, Hekate, like her cousin Artemis, was a "virgin" goddess. She was unwilling to sacrifice her independent nature for the sake of marriage. Walking the roads at night or visiting cemeteries during the dark phase of the moon, the goddess Hekate was described as shining or luminous. In many of her legends, she is invisible, perhaps only glimpsed as a light, a "will-o-the-wisp". Perhaps it was this luminous quality that marked Hekate as a "moon goddess”. Some scholars believe it might be because her mother was Asteria (the Titan goddess of the Shining Light or "Star") or perhaps it was because she always carried a torch on her journeys.
Like Artemis, Hekate was usually depicted with her sacred dogs. Hekate and even her animals were sometimes said to have three heads that could see in all directions. Although she is most often depicted as a beautiful woman having three human heads, some images of her are fearsome indeed (one with a snake's head, one with a horse's, and the third a boar's head).
She is gifted with farsightedness, the ability to see in several directions at once (including, the past, present, and future). This talent featured largely in her most famous myth, the abduction of Persephone. For it was the goddess Hekate who was able to see what had become of her and inform her frantic mother, Demeter.
The goddess Hekate continued to play an important role in the life of Persephone, becoming her confidante when she was in the Underworld. Hades, thankful for their friendship, was more than hospitable, honoring Hekate as a prominent and permanent guest in the spirit world. This had the effect of enhancing her reputation as a spirit of black magic with the power to conjure up dreams, prophecies, and phantoms. Hekate's ability to see into the Underworld, the "otherworld" of the sleeping and the dead, made her comfortable and tolerant in the company of those who most would shun out of fear or misunderstanding.
In her role as 'Queen of the Night', she sometimes traveled with a following of "ghosts" and other social outcasts. She was both honored and feared as the protectress of the oppressed and of those who lived "on the edge". In Rome, many of the priests in her sacred groves were former slaves who had been released to work in her service.
The goddess Hekate was often accompanied on her travels by an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Not really known as a goddess of wisdom, per se, Hekate is nevertheless recognized for a special type of knowledge and is considered to be the goddess of trivia. Her farsightedness and attention to detail, combined with her extraordinary interest in that which most of us discount as irrelevant or arcane, gave her tremendous powers. She knew what the rest of us did not.
Not surprisingly, the people thought it best to give the goddess Hekate (and any friends that might be accompanying her) a lot of honor and a fairly wide berth. When darkness descended, they wisely retired to the fireside for supper, but put the leftovers outside as an offering to Hekate and her hounds. The homeless and destitute were often the actual beneficiaries but that hardly mattered for they were, after all, under Hekate's protection. In a similar fashion, food was often left at the crossroads to honor Hekate, especially at junctions where three roads converged - what we often call a "Y-intersection".
Frequently a pole was erected at the intersection and three masks would be hung from it to pay homage to Hekate and to request her guidance in helping to choose the right direction. Often, three-faced masks also adorned the entrances of many homes, honoring the goddess Hekate, who could, wield her influence over "the spirits that traveled the earth" and keep them from entering the household.
It is hardly surprising that a woman who needed to make a trip alone at night would say a brief prayer to Hekate to seek her protection. The goddess Hekate, like her cousin Artemis, was known as a protector of women, especially during childbirth. Not only was Hekate called upon to ease the pains and progress of a woman's labor, but especially to protect and restore the health and growth of a child.
Similarly, Hekate played a role that we would now describe as "hospice nurse", helping the elderly make a smooth and painless passage into the next life. She would stay with them as long as needed in the otherworld to help prepare them for their eventual return to the earth in their next life. Familiar with the process of death and dying as well as that of new birth and new life, the goddess Hekate was wise in all of earth's mysteries. She reminds us of the importance of change, helping us to release the past, especially those things that are hindering our growth. She helps us accept and even welcome change and transition. She sometimes asks us to let go of what is familiar, safe, and secure and to courageously travel into the scary places of the soul.
New beginnings, whether spiritual or mundane, aren't always easy. But Hekate is there to support and show you the way. She loans her farsightedness for you to see what lies deeply forgotten or even hidden, and then helps you make a choice and find your path. Often, she shines her torch to guide you while you are in dreams or meditation.
Hekate teaches us to be just and to be tolerant of those who are different or less fortunate, yet she is hardly a "bleeding heart", for Hekate dispenses justice "blindly" and equally.
Whether the Greek goddess Hekate visits us in waking hours or only while we sleep, she can lead us to see things differently (ourselves included) and help us find greater understanding of ourselves and others.
Although her name may mean "The Distant One", Hekate is always close at hand in times of need, helping us to release the old, familiar ways and find our way through and into new beginnings.
Hekate (Hecate)
(eh-kay-tae)
Faith/Religions:
Greek, (Wiccan)
Goddess:
Witchcraft, The Crossroads, the Moon
Daughter of:
Perses (Destruction) and Asteria (Divination)
Patron of:
Witches, Diviners, Healers
Matron of:
Woman
Iconography/Manifestations:
A singular woman or a three faced woman,
carrying a snake and/or keys.
Assisted with 3 black dogs.
Symbolism:
Keys, (3) Torches ,
Cauldrons, Brooms,
The Dark Moon
Sacred Animals:
Black dogs,
Dragons, Snakes,
Frogs, Black Cats
Colours:
Black, Purple
Sacred Number:
3
Plants and Trees:
Garlic, Lavender, Mandrake, Henna,
Pomegranate, Black Poplar, Date Palm, Yem
Sacred Time:
Night Time (The Dark Moon)
Sacred Dates:
Last date of the Month is dedicated to Hekate
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Friday the 13th in August
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16th November is Hecate’s night for Modern witches and Neo-Pagans
Offerings:
Eggs, Garlic, Honey, Crescent Bread. Candles, incense,
images of dogs and devotional acts for dogs.
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Triple Moon Goddess
Within Greek Mythology, The Triple Goddess is seen within the association with the Lunar Goddess of the Greek Pantheon Artemis, Selene and Hekate. This association allows witches, practitioners (Wiccans) etc to see the moon as the Maiden, Mother and Crone throughout her cycles. (Please bear in mind that they are all separate entities.)
Artemis
(Goddess of the Hunt)
is seen as the Maiden due to her freedom from masculine control. Her desire for freedom ensures that she is not seduced by men. One story of this details that she turned Actaeon, a lone hunter, into a deer due to him spotting her taking a bath, in which his hunter dogs killed him. Artemis is a guardian and protector for young women who teaches us freedom and embracing ourselves.
Selene
(Titaness of the Moon)
is the personification of the Moon and is seen as the Mother goddess. Due to her relations with lone shepherd/king Endymion (stories vary), she bore 50 daughters in which became the 50 Menai (The Fifty lunar months of the Olympiad cycle). Also with Zeus, she bore Pandia (All Bright), Ersa (The Dew) and Nemea (Eponymous). She is also a goddess associated with the menstrual cycle and of mothers, and allows mothers to bear creation within her cycles from New to Full and New again.
Hekate
(Goddess of Witchcraft)
is seen as the Crone due to her experience of death and wisdom. She was once a widely revered and influential goddess, but her reputation has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron. However, The Crone teaches of not fearing death in which only begins a new cycle of rebirth and to experience ancient wisdom.
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References Illes, J., n.d. Encyclopedia of Spirits.
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