From Hecate's Cauldron

Transcription

1 HEKATE Hekate is primarily a goddess of the Underworld, holding dominion over death and rebirth. This is meant both in the literal sense and in the metaphorical as well. For life is filled with many deaths and rebirths aside from that of the flesh. Because of this the Dark of the Moon especially is her time of the month, since it is a time of endings and beginnings, when what was is no more, and what will be has yet to become. Hekate guards the limenoskopos (the doorstep), for she is a goddess of liminality and transition. Of being on and crossing boundaries. This includes not only the boundary between life and death, but any boundaries, such as those between nature and civilization, waking and sleep, sanity and madness, the conscious and the subconscious minds. Indeed, any transition can be said to be her domain. As such she is also goddess of the crossroads, where the paths of one's life fork and a person must choose which future to embark upon. In ancient times these were believed to be special places where the veil between the worlds was thin and spirits gathered. Hekate is also the goddess of psychological transformation. Her Underworld is the dark recesses of the human subconscious as well at that of the Cosmos. Many have accused her of sending demons to haunt the thoughts of individuals. What they fail to understand is that the demons are not hers, but their own. By the light of her twin torches Hekate only reveals what is already there. These are things which the person needs to see in order to heal and renew. However, if they are not prepared for the experience of confronting their Shadow then it can truly feel 1

2 like they are being tormented. Hekate is not motivated by cruelty, nor is she seeking to harm. But her love can be tough love. She will prompt a person to face the things that they must, whether they like it or not. Then and now Hekate is a goddess of Witchcraft and those who walk between the worlds. In the ancient world she was the patroness of those magicians- often women and the transgendered - who practiced magic, herbalism, and religion outside of the boundaries of the established temples and civil authorities of Greece. This is one reason she and her followers have often been feared and reviled. They stand with at least one foot outside of the conventional world. She is not commonly portrayed as such, but I also see her as a shamanic deity. Her Underworld is the abode of the Shadow-Self and the journeys of the shaman to confront it. It is also the place of the shamanic ordeal of death, dismemberment, and rebirth. A place of otherworldly spirits who may aid or hinder the practitioner. Likewise, her followers are people who walk between the worlds, whether the worlds of magical and mundane, urban and rural, men and women, conventional and unconventional society. For all those who need a companion on the dark pathways they must walk, Hekate goes with them. While she may not be the deity many people would like, she is the one whom they need. Because of this I believe that she comes to those who require her, whether or not they were looking for her. While some Greeks describe her as a virgin goddess, it bears noting that to the Ancient Greeks the word virgin did not always mean a girl uninitiated into sexual intercourse, but could also mean a woman not beholden to any man. In this sense, Hekate is indeed a virgin goddess. While in the more common sense of the word she certainly is not, for she is held to be the mother of several children, such as the god Museus and the Witches Medeia and Kirke (Circe). In modern Neo-Pagan practice Hekate is typically identified as an aspect of the Crone, and as such is most often portrayed as an old woman. This is in contrast to ancient vase murals which depict her as being an adult woman in her prime. As with many things about this goddess, this is a perception that has changed over time. However, the Crone aspect of the modern Triple Goddess is not truly defined by her age, but rather by the powers her age represents (that of wisdom, magical potency, annihilation, and the transformative journey through the Underworld), and those indeed fall under Hekate's domain. So while perhaps not historically accurate, this is not a demotion or devaluing of her, but rather the way in which modern Neo-Paganism fits her into its philosophy (this difficulty with integrating her into their cosmology is something that we will see Neo-Pagans share with the Ancient Greeks as well). Hekate is more often than not portrayed as carrying two torches and is known as "The Torch-Bearer". She carries these because of her role as a guide through the transition of the Underworld. One torch shows a person where it is they currently stand, the other where they might go. In this manner she reveals the mysteries of transformation to those who enter her realm of darkness. Hekate is also shown carrying a key, for she is the opener and closer of the door to the Underworld. In modern interpretations she is the guardian of and guide through the individual's Unconscious mind as well. So again, she is the key to the deeper mysteries. She also has a scourge (whip) which is the umbilical of rebirth and renewal. Her dagger (which later became the athame of Wicca) cuts delusion and is a symbol of ritual power. The black poplar and yew trees are sacred to Hekate, as is the willow tree. Wild animals are also loved by her (something I believe originates from her earliest days as a prehistoric fertility deity), and she is sometimes shown with three animal heads - the dog, snake, and lion, or alternately the dog, horse, and bear. The serpent, long connected to the chthonic powers of death and rebirth due to the shedding of its skin and its living beneath the earth, is strongly connected with her. In fact, she is often shown holding a snake in one hand. 2

3 However, her primary animal form and familiar is the dog, and she was at one time considered to be "The Dog of the Moon". She is associated with the three-headed dog Kerberos who guards the gates of the Underworld. The Dog Star Sirius, whose rising foretold the annual flooding of the Nile, is also considered sacred to her. According to legend Hekate can be seen walking the roads and graveyards at night, particularly during the dark moon, accompanied by her howling dogs - which are usually black in color. Furthermore, it was said that when she chose to walk the earth invisible to the eyes of humans, dogs could still see her, as it was believed they could see all disembodied spirits. So if they started baying at night it meant Hekate or some other ghost or apparition was near, and a dog howling at the moon was considered to be a harbinger of death. As Virgil writes: "Then earth began to bellow, trees to dance and howling dogs in glimmering light advance ere Hekate came." The waning crescent moon and the new moon are associated with Hekate, as they are symbols of death and renewal. She is strongly connected to the moon in fact. The Witches who followed her in the ancient world, such as Medeia, were attributed powers such as the ability to draw the moon from the sky. Some believed that after the death of the body, the soul was gathered up by the Moon as it passed overhead. While on the other hand new souls were transmitted from the Sun to the Moon, which in turn sowed them into new bodies at the same time it was gathering up the old souls. Here we see how Hekate's power of the Moon was in fact only a facet of her position as Goddess of the Underworld. Hekate is also associated with a curious wheel shaped design, known as Hekate's Wheel, or the "Strophalos of Hekate". It is a circle which encloses a serpentine maze with three main flanges, that in turn are situated around a central, fiery spiral. The symbolism refers to the serpent's power of rebirth, to the labyrinth of knowledge through which Hekate could lead humankind, and to the flame of life itself: "The life-producing bosom of Hekate, that Living Flame which clothes itself in Matter to manifest Existence" (according to Isaac Preston Cory's 1836 translation of the Chaldean Oracles). The three main arms of the maze correspond with her being a triple goddess, as well as goddess of the three ways, and that she has dominion over the earth, sea, and sky. From Hecate's Cauldron As a triple Goddess, Hecate represents Maiden, Mother and Crone; mind, body and spirit; and birth, life and death. As Mistress of the Night, She represents the three stages of the lunar cycle of New, Full and Dark. Hecate symbolizes the dark within us, the part of our psyche we refuse to acknowledge. Many ignore the wisdom, the strength and the truth of Hecate because our fear of the darkness is so strong. Hecate is associated with the dark side of the moon, but this is the true Moon. The Moon has no light of its own, only reflected light from the sun. Dark is the Moon's true color as is Hecate's. Although most see Hecate as the third phase of the moon, She is actually a Triple Goddess in her own right. She is Hecate the maiden, Hecate the Mother, and Hecate the Crone. Hecate can be called upon during any moon phase, as She is the One and the Three. In pronouncing her name, in the Greek language the "H" is silent. So, to properly pronounce her name is "E-CA-TA" or "e-co-ta." In Her maiden aspect, she stands for new beginnings. She can also be called upon when you need to look at something in a new, fresher way...a way that you have never looked at it before. You turn to Her when the moon begins to first wax. In Her Mother aspect is a time to turn to Her when you need nurturing and protection like any 3

4 mother would give. Turn to Her when the Moon is Full. In Her Crone aspect, it is a time to turn to for protection, wisdom and magick. However, please bear in mind that Hecate is not a Goddess full of tenderness and compassion with white lace and linen. She is also more prone to be stern with you if you brought a situation upon yourself. However, Her wrath is swift and just to those who cause harm to a follower of Hers, because those who seek Her, honor Her and do not fear Her are in Her protection and She does not take lightly to those who cause them harm. She does not tolerate nor does She coddle. Turn to another Goddess if you seek this. Her actions are swift and without frills. So, when you do call upon Her, be prepared for Her swift actions and changes because it might not be what you expected. Hecate teaches us an important lesson, which is that the feminine should be valued for itself, not because it brings sexuality or power, but because deep within it there is an eternal wisdom. Hecate is also the High Priestess, the keeper of the Mysteries. Hecate is not the priestess who seeks the inner knowledge, but High Priestess who has found it and imparts it to others. Hecate, who sits enthroned before the Veil of the Temple as the High Priestess, the card in the Tarot which is ruled by the Moon. To reach daylight on the other side of the Veil, we must all become at one with the Dark Mother of the night. Whether it be Hecate guarding the home or of the temple, She will avert evil and provides protection. The Goddess Hecate is also known as the liberator of women, as she sets women free from the bonds created by man. That is why the Christian Church put Hecate down and created her as the Goddess of evil and destruction. During Medieval times, pagans were being tortured based on their belief in the Goddess. Patriarchy reigned and the fear of feminine power caused the Church to demonize Hecate. She was made infamous as the crone; old, wrinkled, ugly, warts protruding from her nose and chin, mysterious, dark and loathsome. Many mistakenly call Her the destroyer, but She is not for if you destroy something, that something is forever gone. You cannot bring something back that has been destroyed. It has been said that the Goddess's service is perfect freedom. She is the liberator because She is manifest in our deepest drives and emotions, which always and inevitably threaten the systems designed to contain them. She is love and anger, which refuse to fit comfortably into the social order. To be "free from slavery" once meant that, within the ritual circle, all were equal, whether they were peasant, serf, or noble in the outside world. Slavery today could be mental and emotional as well as physical: the slavery of fixed perceptions, of conditioned ideas, of blind beliefs, of fear. Witchcraft demands intellectual freedom and the courage to confront our own assumptions. It is not a belief system: it is a constantly self-renewed attitude of joy and wonder to the world. Hecate enforces feminine independence from masculine influences and this deals in all things including the religion known as Wicca. Wicca is heavily influenced by the male God. The Sabbats are centered around the male God. The word Wicca is a male term...a term connected to the Goddess religion. In today's society, we hide our elderly (or look right through them as if they do not exist) our sick, and our poor so e can pretend to be immune to such human conditions. But Hecate reminds us of the truth. She sees through the facade of societal amenities. She is not deceived by social standing, education or titles and wealth. Instead, She is impressed only by what is in the heart! She is patroness to those of the heart. Hecate originally was a Thracian and pre-olympian Goddess. Zeus bowed down to her antiquity by granting to Hecate alone a power shared by Zeus, that of withholding from humanity anything she wished. He also "granted" her the powers of the heavens, on Earth and the underworld...as if She did not have these powers already! He gave her nothing of that which She did not already have. Of all the Goddesses, she was the most markedly triple and the most complex. She was Goddess of the Wild Hunt. She was to Greeks and Romans, especially the Goddess of the crossroads. Statutes of Her stood there, and food offerings "Hecate s Supper" were taken there at dead of night, on the eve of the full Moon. Her annual festival on August 13 was a propitiatory one, to avert the harvest-destroying storms which the Moon is apt to send at around that time. She also haunted graveyards and the scenes of crimes as 4

5 a goddess of expiration and purification. Hecate is the Darksome Mother, in both the positive and in the negative sense. To those that dare to welcome Her, she brings creative inspiration. She is Hecate Antea, the Sender of Nocturnal Vision, and, typically of a Moon Goddess. She is Hecate Trivia, Goddess of the Crossroads. One of her symbols is the torch, for the Dark Mother also holds the light which illuminates the Unconscious and reveals its treasures. With Her torches she guides those who are seeking the mysteries. The light from these torches will lead those wishing to understand the mysteries. In the Tarot, She is the Threes and the High Priestess; Her gems are star sapphire, pearl, moonstone, and crystal; Plants are the yew tree, cypress, opium, poppy, almond, mugwort, hazel, moonwort, civet, menstrual blood, camphor, garlic, aloes, all sweet virginal odors; Tools are the cauldron, the besom, knives, the key; animals are the dogs and horses, black cats. The owl is Her messenger. Her chariot is pulled by dragons. Hecate s colors are silver and black. Through Hecate s Cauldron, we must look at our true self, the nature of our motives and the results of our actions, because only through Her cauldron can we truly be reborn in becoming a better person than we were before. Only when we look into Her dark cauldron can we see the light. Hecate, and none but She, is Queen of all living things. It is through Her that all things live or die. She is the laughing maiden, the living mother, and the black hag of death. She is the three and the one. She smiles and the radiance of the moon, whether it be full or dark, is everywhere for there is no power like Her power and no living thing can withstand Her power. For She is anticipation. She is the fulfillment. She is death. Hear her words, children, worship and be glad for if you seek Her, She is with you always. She was with you in the beginning and shall be with you at the end. Days of Hecate are August 13 which She is honored and prayed to in order to not send fearce thunderstorms and ruin and the crops. November 16 is the Night of Hecate which begins at sunset. This is the night of Hecate's supper and animals were sacrificed in honor of Her. November 30 is Hecate-Trivia--the day of the Crossroads. The 29th of each month is the Moon of Hecate. If you flew in from a different direction, do not forget to check out the rest of my website for more of your magickal needs. There is much to be found in Hecate-Trivia where this page originates from and do not forget to fly over to Witchcraft as well. Hecate s History and Origin Hecate s History and origin is a very complex one for even though Hecate is considered to be a powerful Goddess and a Goddess for the people; there is not much written information about Her as She does not have much involvement in mythology nor does She have much interaction with other Deities. Only a few deities are well documented in literature and Hecate is one of the many who are largely absent, especially before the fourth century. Also...one has to bear in mind that there is only so much factual information out there from paintings, plates, the Hymns, etc., regarding the Goddess Hecate and the rest of the written material is merely speculation and should be taken as such. For instance, the mention that Hecate had many children. There is only one factual evidence in which Hecate may have had one child, Skylla, and it was not from Hermes but from Porkys. I have read some sources state that Hecate had many children and some with Hermes which is mere speculation with no 5

6 evidence. In fact, the only association Hecate has with Hermes are their roles as chthonic Deities and/or guardians of the common people. For those reasons above, I am careful in what I believe to be information on Hecate or any other Deity for that matter and I tend to take more to heart on what scholars have to write than anything else.. Anyone can write a book but the difference is between whether it is factual or mere speculation on the author's part. Hecate is an ancient Goddess from an earlier pre-greek strata of myth. The Greeks found Her difficult to fit into their scheme of Gods. Some came to see Her as a daughter of the Titans, Perses and Asteria and thus cousin to Artemis. Others saw Her as an even more primal Goddess, making Her a daughter of Erebus and Nyx. What is so confusing here is if Hecate was seen as a daughter of minor parents such as Perses and Asteria, why would Zeus "give" Her so much power and ruler of Earth, Heaven and the Underworld, and He favored Her above all. Two major works of the Archaic period, the Theogony of Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter contain the most significant references to Hecate. There are two other known references to Hecate in Archaic literature. Both are unfortunately very brief such as Hecate having some connection with Iphigeneia, and is also the mother of Skylla by Porkys (a minor Sea God.) With references to Iphigeneia, please see Hecate and Artemis which is discussed a little later. Hesiod s Theogony is probably the oldest, surviving major Greek work of literature. It dates to the late eighth or early seventh century which is slightly earlier than the current dating of Homer s work. In Hesiod s poem, roughly in the midpoint of the poem, is material describing the birth, history, powers and spheres of influence of Hecate. This passage "hymn" to Hecate is the longest section in the entire poem pertaining to an individual deity other than Zeus. It also involves humans more than any other section. She as described as follows: 411: She is the child of Titans Asteria and Perses (and thus a cousin of Artemis and Apollo); : She is honoured by Zeus above all others, and has been granted shares by him in the Sky, Earth, and Sea (Underworld to Homer)...an honor to which Hecate already had! : she is invoked by humans in every sacrifice; : she grants (or withholds) much favor and success to humans who call upon Her; : she keeps the rights that she held among the Titans, as an only child and direct descendant of Gaia, Ouranos and Okeanos "(Earth," "Sky" and "Sea"); : she blesses six specific groups of mortals: leaders, warriors, athletes, cavalrymen, fisherman : she is honoured by all the deities although She is an only child; : she is kourotrophos ("nurse") to all living things. What is strange about the description of Hecate here is there is no chthonic, lunar or, her magical practices, nor any mention of torches, or her favorite place such as the crossroads, as if it was intentionally "whitewashed" of what was assumed to be the true, unsavoury nature of Hecate, as if Hesiod wished to keep the darker side hidden. In the Pre-Olympian Deities, in tales concerning the beginning of things, three great Goddesses play the part of Mother of the World: the Sea-Goddess Tethys, the Goddess Night ( whom Zeus stood in sacred awe of) and Mother 6

7 Earth. They constitute a trinity. All through mythology, one comes across three Goddesses. What is more, they do not merely form accidental groups of three usually a group of three sisters but actually are real trinities, sometimes almost forming a single Threefold Goddess. It might be because in earlier times, the calendar year was by the Moon. The lunar month was divided into three parts, and our moon had three aspects: as the waxing, the full and waning sign of a divine presence in the sky. Now, according to Hesiod, the Great Goddess Gaia gave birth to 12 Titans and Titanesses, three brothers took their own sisters to wife Theia bore to her husband, Hyperion, Helois, the Sun, Selene, the Moon and Eos, Dawn. Phoebe (which is another name for Moon) bore to Koios two daughters: the Goddess Leto, (mother of Artemis and Apollo), and Asteria, (star Goddess) who bore Hecate to Perses/Persios (the son of Eurybia "Goddess of wide force, " who some say was a daughter to Gaia. Eurybia is the sister to Phorkys who Hecate who later bears the female Sea- Monster Skylla). Rhea married Krones, to whom she bore three daughters and three sons, the Great Goddess Hestia, Demeter and Hera and the great Gods Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. So, according to Hesiod, Hecate is therefore the cousin of Apollo and Artemis. Hecate is mostly seen carrying two torches, which to some, the torches represent the Moon. Hecate was an only child. In this respect, Hecate resembles Persephone, the Goddess of the Underworld. For the rest, She was an almighty threefold Goddess. Zeus revered her above all others and let her have her share of the earth, the sea and the starry sky; or rather he did not deprive her of this threefold honor, which she previously enjoyed under the earlier Gods, the Titans. Tales are told of Hecate s love affairs with the Gods of the sea, and most particularly with Triton. When Hecate was not walking on the highways, she dwelt in her cave which to many, consider that to represent the Underworld. It has been speculated by one author that Hecate was not a Moon Goddess before the Roman period. He says that torches alone does not make Her a Moon Goddess. However, Hecate s grandmother is Phoebe, the Moon. Hecate s father, Peres, is an old Sun-God, and when there is a Sun God, there is always mention of a Moon Goddess, and so Hecate s ancestry therefore reflects her heritage as an ancient Moon Goddess. Plus a few passages of Sophokles evokes a very clear picture of Hecate that Her torches seem to pair her specifically with Helios, the Sun God. Aristophanes speaks of Hecate s torches showing the way at night: ("and you, oh daughter of Zeus, holding up two flaming torches...show the way...so that I may search for the thief"). (Many believe that Hecate is not the daughter of Zeus as Hecate is Pre-Greek. Also there is a picture of Hecate holding the Sun God Zeus when he was a small child.) But this could indicate a line between Her torches and moonlight. However, somewhat more substantial evidence is found by considering together two unrelated passages of Bacchylides. Fragment 1B reads ("Hecate, torch bearing holy daughter of great-bosomed Night...") The prooemium of Ode 7 is to an unnamed daughter of Nux (Night) as benefactor of footracers at the Olympaid of 452: this role recalls Hecate helping athletes in the Theogony. Now the four-year Olympic cycle was actually measured as one half of a "great year" of 100 months (i.e., 100 lunar cycles) and the final ceremonies were held at Full Moon. Furthermore the Greek word of 100 is hekaton, which bears a considerable resemblance to Hecate s name. If Hecate is the unnamed Goddess referred to in the "ode", this timing might therefore reflect a very old lunar aspect of Her. Hecate stood before the doors of most houses under the name of Prothyraia, the Goddess who helped women in childbed. Some authors felt to describe how and with what purposes Hecate was evoked by women would take people more into the field of Witchcraft, and their main purpose of their research was confined to Hecate s origins as close as possible to Mythology and not Witchcraft and women's ways. She had names such as "the strong, Threefold One, or the Distant One or Remote One. The wife of the sun God Helios was named Perse or Perseis, which is also one of the names of the Moon Goddess Hecate and doubtless represented the Underworld aspect of the "widely shining" Goddess. It is interesting, that the name of the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, can be taken to be a longer, perhaps even a more ceremonious form of Perse, Perseis, Perses, Perseus and Persaios all names of Hecate and her associates and are probably used from pre-greek times as a name of the Queen of the Underworld. Persephone is referred to Kore, the Maiden, when she returns to her Mother, Demeter, in the Spring 7

8 and once again, she is known as Persephone when she returns to the Underworld. So, there are many aspects which connect Hecate to Persephone as there are many speculations if Persephone and Hecate are one and the same. Many speculate that the myth of Persephone journeying to the Underworld happened before the myth of the abduction by Hades but instead, Persephone journeyed to the land of the Underworld for teachings from Hecate or even that She then became Hecate. It is also noted that at one time Hecate was seen as young and later she was a Mother. She was never portrayed as the Crone, and you have to wonder why. Most ancient drawings, whether they are on plates, bowls, jars, etc., one never sees an elderly lady portrayed. It is either Maiden or Mother or both but never an image of an old wrinkled woman. But this might be because no one lived a very long life. Or, perhaps, as in today s society, the elderly was not respected and looked upon as if they were not there, as if they did not exist and that life belonged to the young and fertile. Perhaps during the Matriarchal times, the Crone was recognized for Her wisdom and She was respected until the warring Solar Gods with their sexual prowlness came and took the powers away from the Goddess, and the Crone was cast away to die in some hidden cave. Homer s Hymn to Demeter, the earliest account of the abduction of Persephone by Hades, dates to the late seventh or early sixth century. Although the roles of Hecate in the hymn are quite minor, the work presents a noteworthy relationship between Hecate, Demeter and Persephone. However, Hecate s appearances are very brief and sudden. Some scholars feel once again, as in Hesoid s Hymn, something is missing. Perhaps Hecate s role in the hymn was reduced from a more active one in which She was Persephone s companion from the outset. Or, more emphasis was put on Demeter, thereby leaving Hecate as secondary, which contradicts what other scholars have said; i.e., that "Hecate was secondary to none." Perhaps it was a desire to purge the Hymn of a figure that had acquired an undesirable reputation. It is even possible that the role in the Mysteries (Eleusis) are part of the arreton ("secret things") and thus unmentionable by initiates. It is noteworthy to mention that in Homer s Hymn to Demeter is the connection between Hecate and Helios. The two are paired in later literature through Medeia. The view, common in Roman times, that Hecate was a Moon- Goddess and thus logically paired with Helios, the Sun-God. In the Hymn, both begin as observers of the event: Hecate hears it (the Moon which has not yet risen), Helios the sun sees it. On the one hand, Hecate is shown as very supportive of the two Goddesses: She brings news to Demeter, accompanies her when she seeks more information from Helios and repeatedly embraces Persephone upon her return. Helios, on the other hand shows little compassion whatsoever. The connection between Hecate and Helios is odd, as their actions are contrasting reactions. If a significant link existed between the two at the time, based on their being Moon-Goddess and Sun- God, it plays no important role in the Hymn, yet their well known association with Medeia makes it unlikely that their pairing is coincidental. A complicating factor in understanding Hecate s relationship with Persephone is that the latter is not a simple figure. It has often been suggested that Persephone originated as two distinct figures: Persephone, a pre-greek Queen of the Dead, and Kore, the Greek daughter of Demeter. When Hecate appears as a companion, it is with the innocent daughter of Demeter. However, when the chthonic Hecate is evoked, she is often named with, or even identified with, the Queen of the Dead. It is interesting to note that the first part of Persephone s name resembles Perseis, a name sometimes associated with Hecate, as daughter of Perses. If Persephone and Kore were originally two separate deities, then perhaps their merging transformed whatever original relationship one or both had with Hecate. Hecate often had the title Phosphoros which means light bringer. 8

9 Hecate and Artemis Hecate has been associated many times with Artemis and Apollo, as She is their cousin. Her cousin Apollo had the title Hekatos, as early as Homer, and Artemis took Hekate as a title, at least by the end of the fifth century. In Classical and later literature, Hecate is closely connected with Artemis. They share several titles, attributes and functions and appear to be considered identical in many instances. A different sort of connection between Hecate and Artemis is revealed in a number of similar legends concerning girls or young women who die either by being sacrificed or by taking their own lives often in order to ensure the safety of their people. One legend, which is the earliest surviving case concerns Iphigeneia (sometimes called Iphianassa, Phimede, or Iphimedeia) and her stepfather, Agamemnon, the latter of which is counselled to sacrifice his stepdaughter to Artemis in order to ensure the safety of the Greek fleet when it sailed for Troy from Aulis in Boiotia. At the moment of death, Artemis replaces Iphigeneia with a deer (or a bear), taking her far away and transforming her into a Priestess or a divine attendant and calling her Hecate. Another story, however, is that Artemis tranforms Iphimedia into an attendant named Artemis Enodia. The titles Hekaerge (far-working) and Hekatebolos (far-shooting) which so clearly resemble Hekate s name, are often added to Artemis name to indicate her belligerent and destructive roles. Hecate s functions may have changed as the result of political manipulation. You had mergers where treasury of the league was moved to the Acroipolis from Delos, where Artemis was prominent. For the most part, Hecate would seem to have been the loser in such a merger: she did not seem to acquire any functions normally reserved for Artemis, such as archery or governing wilderness, while Artemis name joined Hecate s at Eleusis. Perhaps this dominance by Artemis is why Hecate s chthonic role became so pronounced in the literature of Athens in the fifth and later centuries: She may have lost most of Her other functions to Artemis. However, Hecate preserved at least a moderate level of independence to the end of antiquity. Hecate is connected with the feminine in independence from the masculine. While both Artemis and Hecate are evoked in childbirth, this is in the sense of helping with an exclusively feminine mystery, unlike the Goddess Hera, Zeus wife, who is guardian of the relationship of woman to man. Thus Hera is the jealous guardian of marital fidelity, the protectress of the marriage vows. She is the Goddess of childbirth, not as a feminine ritual but as the result of male-female connection as it relates to the preservation and integrity of the blood line and inheritance. The Artemis-Hecate archetype was rather feared by the patriarchs of the Solar Gods, because if pursued by women, it could have led to their developing a sense of an independence from the masculine. Thus the cult of Hera, under the protection of Zeus, became very important in late classical times. The Greek Artemis should not be confused with Artemis of Ephesus who was the Great Mother Goddess of the Ionian Greeks. The Greek soul was in later patriarchal times, unhappy with the independent Artemis who is the wild virgin of the hunt and only by remaining aloof from contact with the masculine can She retain Her independence. So the Greeks encouraged the grafting onto Her of the Artemis of the Ephesus-Mother facet. Hecate s connection with Apollo is the most interesting than She has with any other Gods. The most striking connection between Apollo and Hecate is through two of his common titles that resemble Her name: Hecatos and Hekatebolos. One way of interpreting this set of names is possibly that Hecate and Apollo were originally paired and that Artemis came to replace Hecate. Even though Homer and Hesiod have Artemis and Apollo as close siblings, there are many sites where they are worshipped by themselves. Apollo took on an equal status with Artemis on 9

10 Delos only in the sixth century, while Artemis never joined him in Delphi which is strange.! However, Hekate s early presence with Apollo at Miletos (and later at Didyma) could be interpreted as the last signs of a partnership that originated among Bronze Age people of Asia Minor. By this thought, Artemis presumably replaced Hekate as companion of Apollo Hekatos when She began to absorb other Asian Goddesses early in the millennium. If it were not for Apollo s title of Hekatos, his relationship with Hekate could probably be treated as being of limited significance. However, their sharing of names can hardly be a trivial coincidence, and Hecate s origins and identity are somehow tied to those of Artemis and Apollo. There are several speculative but quite interesting pieces of evidence that point to Hekate and Apollo having common roots in Bronze Age Aisa Minor, perhaps as paired guardian deities. However, whatever the connection, by the sixth century, any close relationship between Apollo and Hecate are limited to a few Ionian sites such as Miletos and Didyma, wherein Gods such as Helios and Hermes were more commonly her male companions...helios the Sun Good and Hermes being chthonic in nature. Hecate and the Son God, Helios There are several references in literature that show an association between Hekate and Helios. Hecate and Helios are the only witnesses to Kore s (Persephone) kidnapping, and they inform Demeter what has happened...first by Hecate and then by Helios. It has often been assumed that this relationship reflects their complementary nature as Moon Goddess and Sun God. In every version of the legend of Persephone, Hecate and Helois are either paired as observers or are both absent. This suggests that this pairing is not coincidental, though not necessarily vital to the story. It is relevant to note that there is a common pattern found in folklore in many parts of the world of the Sun and Moon being questioned concerning events occurring on Earth, as they are assumed to be able to observe everything. Helios is explicitly called skopos, meaning "watcher" and Hecate is able to hear clearly the abduction from Her cave. Probably she "hears" because it is during the daylight hours that Kore is taken and the Moon is not out shining. Hecate and Hermes Hecate s association with Hermes is the least documented in early times of those considered so far. The earliest evidence supporting a true connection with Hecate is at the entrance to the Athenian Acropolis in the fifth century which bears the three images of Hecate connected. The role as chthonic deities of which both deities received sacrificial meals left at their statutes. They were called Enodia and Enodios, meaning "in/or the road." Hermes is the only deity, besides Persephone, with whom Hekate significantly shared chthonic functions. Evidence for their shared role dates only to the fifth century, but earlier evidence exists for both independently and perhaps their association came about because they shared this function. Hecate and Her Roles in Early Greece "Lord Helios and the sacred flame, weapon of Hekate Enodia which She bears when leading in Olympos and in her haunts by the sacred three-ways on Earth, crowning herself with oak leaves and twisting coils of wild serpent." Hecate is a Goddess of entrances which generally serve one or more of three functions: to establish a boundary and to protect what is inside from the outer world, to help travellers setting out from or returning to the entranceway and to watch over the actual transition that the entrance entails. Protection from what is beyond a boundary is a role that is commonly assigned to Hecate but most importantly, she is involved with unseen, spiritual foes rather than physical defense of the city such as Athena Nike. 10

11 There is another attribute of Hecate indicating a gatekeeper role: the holding of a key. In the Orphic Hymn to Hekate, she is called kleidouchos ("key-holder"). By Hellenistic times, the bearing of a key often symbolized the ability to open and close the gates between Earth and other realms such as that of the Underworld. Persephone was also shown with a key. In Hecate s case, this could reflect her association by that time with spirits, especially those summoned by magicians, as She could let spirits in and out. Hecate - Goddess of Women - Hecate is considered a Goddess of Women. Birth, childbearing and death are matters of great importance to all human societies. Hecate is associated with all three. If Hecate can be considered a Goddess of Transitions, she was particularly a suitable goddess to evoke in all matters concerning birth and death. These matters are also traditionally considered the concern of women, if not their exclusive domain, so Hecate s involvement in them may imply a particular focus upon women. As early as Theogony, Hecate has the role of kourotrophos...child s nurse. Hecate is the oldest known kourotrophos, as in the Theogony She is called Kourotrophos to all living things. Ceremonies of death were largely the concern of women in ancient Greece. Women predominate in artistic and literary representations of mourning and the laying out of bodies; laws were passed governing their actions and influences of funerals. House sweepings and offerings were made to Hecate at crossroads at the Dark Moon after a 30-day mourning period. It has also been suggested that Hecate had a role in marriage, another transitional stage of life of particular importance to women. Scholars such as Wilamowitz and Nilsson feel justified in claiming that Hecate is a Women s Goddess and one of the reasons for that belief is that women were more prone to be more superstitious then men and to practicing magick privately in association with Hecate. In deed, another Greek author said he wished to only provide the myths regarding Hecate, for anything which was practiced by Greek women would be considered Witchcraft! Of the three most likely roles for Hecate when she is found at entranceways, the evidence best supports that of guardian against outside dangers. Particular emphasis may be on defending against supernatural forces, a function which may be directly tied to her frightening association with restless spirits. Another of Hecate s roles was Hecate Propolos which means guide and companion, and She was certainly that when accompanying Persephone to the Underworld and being her companion while there. Most all drawings and pictures of Hecate depict her with two torches where other Goddess have only one torch. Hecate is known as Hecate Phosphoros which means Light Bringer. Also, morning and evening stars (the planet Venus) were named Phosphoros (light bringer) and Hesperos (of the evening). So, perhaps her two torches were seen to represent Phosphoros and Hesperos. Her torches could also represent the light of the Moon, the fire representing childbirth. Goddess of the Underworld In the second half of the fifth century, there is in Greek literature a side of Hecate that is both frightening and new. 11

12 She is associated with restless spirits and phantasms that attack by their own volition or under the command of spiteful foes with purification ceremonies involving the killing of dogs and with offers left at crossroads at every Dark Moon. In situations such as these Hecate is known as Hecate Chthonia. In many parts of the world, they feel that the crossroads are supernatural places...places to work magick and to encounter spirits of all kinds. In later literature, Hecate is associated with crossroads and most particularly three-way intersections. Sacrificial meals are commonly left out at crossroads for Hecate, especially during the three days about the Dark Moon. These are sometimes called Hekates deipna (Hecate s banquets.) Offerings are to solicit Her aid in protection against the other spirits. Many felt that restless spirits walk the earth during the Dark of the Moon. Neglecting to make offerings to Hecate is therefore dangerous not because she might attack, but because She is the one who stands between you and the dangerous spirits. Because of Hecate s association with crossroads, she is called Hecate Enodia (in the road.) Hecate is also associated with dogs, and dogs, as well as Hecate, are credited with excellent night vision. Chthonic deities, in their role of governing the dead were associated with snakes. Snakes appear with Hecate almost entirely in the context of her hair. Hecate has a significant role in the nearly obsessive portrayal of Medeia in antiquity. Medeia s primary role is usually that of an evil magician and herbalist. She is also a Priestess of Hecate and a descendant of Helios, the Sun God; Hecate, and to a lessor extent Helios, were Medeia's benefactors or teachers. This is probably Hecate s most noted role in later literature, and as such, contributed much to her negative image. Helios, on the other hand, has not suffered in the same way...naturally...he being a male and Hecate being a female. It goes to show that even back then Gods practicing magick were not Witches or anything evil. However, a Goddess who is associated with magick and She gets a negative image! Literature has it that Medeia evoked Hecate and performed magick regarding women's issues and this reflects Hecate s role, once again, as the benefactor of this magick as evidence for Her being a Woman s Goddess. Many men would argue the point, but that still does not change that Hecate was not only a Goddess for the people but most particularly a Goddess for the women for Hecate assisted in the roles that women performed.. The prominence of Hecate Chthonia in later literature is probably the most difficult to explain. One scholar suggests that Hecate s chthonic side must have been present from her beginnings in Karia and was brought to the forefront in the fifth century when superstitious fears and magic practices became widespread among the common folk. Hecate s chthonic image became enhanced at the expense of her other functions in Athens to differentiate Her from Artemis as well as Her association with other Chthonic deities such as Persephone, Queen of the Dead who many feel are one and the same. In summary, Hecate is a Goddess for the people and most particularly women and not the entire community and was most likely honored in private ceremonies on Her own. Due to Hecate s "unsavory" character and the magickal practices of Hecate s followers such as Medeia are not in keeping with "proper" Greek religion, She was not idealised in ancient Greek culture. In other words...hecate did not fit into what man thought a Goddess should represent. This is probably why She was never considered an Olympian Goddess. The relatively sudden and widespread archeological evidence for Her worship in the sixth century indicates that Hecate came from some other outside location. The question of Hecate s place of origin has been questioned on account of her negative reputation and a desire to keep the Greek religion clean. Nevertheless, it is a common conclusion that the worship of Hecate originated in Asia Minor, in particular Karia. By the fifth century, when records became relatively abundant, Hecate is firmly in place in the Greek world and as a 12

13 Greek Deity. That century also marks the point when the literary record begins to stress Hecate Chthonia and often in a dangerous form and unfortunately at the expense of her other functions. As mentioned earlier, the Greeks probably wanted more emphasis on Artemis and less on Hecate. Hecate Chthonia seems to have little bearing on actual religious practices but more on supporting the magickal practices of Medeia and other female figures. The negative portrayal of powerful women such as Medeia and the Amazons who live outside of the bounds of society, is most common in Greek and Roman literature. When these women are associated with Deities, it is usually with Goddesses who honor their independent nature such as Artemis, or grant them unusual powers, such as Hecate. So...it is quite possible that through simple association with Medeia, the ghostly and dangerous side of Hecate was popularized. Another important factor contributing to the stories involving Hecate may be that much of Her worship served individual needs protecting one from harmful ghosts and guiding one through difficult transitions and the use of magick rather than those of the community. Apparently the Greeks thought that individuals acting on their own could be very threatening to society. What is interesting in nearly all of these stories is that they feature individual women performing rituals for their own purposes. Perhaps humble, day to day ritual practices by women with statutes of Hecate in their homes added to fuel the fears and imagination of others. But the women who evoked Hecate, respected Her but did not fear Her. Hecate carried with Her independence and power...things that Greek men did not want women to have. Many women turned to Hecate for protection, childbirth and childraising, as Hecate was called upon for many functions. Parents gave their children names that began with Hekat, sculptors were hired to construct statues of Her for all to see, and people were initiated into Her mysteries. The worship of several deities was restricted by official decree in the Roman period, but never that of the our Lady...Lady Hecate, Queen of Heaven, Earth and the Underworld...a privileged with which She was given but what She already had before the Olympian Gods. ********************************************************************** The Name of Hecate/ Hekate The Name Hekate Heka means "magical speech" in Egyptian while Hekate means "influence from afar" in Greek. The latter attribution is due to her ability to use magic upon a person from a distance. Hence the appellations "Far Darter" and "The Distant One" given to Hekate. Hekate is also spelled Hecate in Latin, and you will often see it this way in print. In Greek her name would appear as thus: 'Εκατη (however, one must remember that Ancient Greek had many dialects that had differing spellings of words, so it may also appear in other forms in Greek as well). 'Εκατη 'Ε - an h, as in he κ - a k, as in king α - an a, as in angel τ - a t, as in together η - an eh sound, as the e in excellent. So Hekate is pronunced "heh-kaa-tay". Although as noted above, Ancient Greek had many dialects, so it may appear otherwise as well. Related and associated Greco romans deities 13

14 Hermes I find it odd that I don t see Hermes mentioned very often in connection to Hekate, when the two are so, well, close. In many katadesmos (curse tablets) in ancient Hellas people would call on both Hekate and Hermes to help in the curse. One may not think that Hermes would be the one to call on for help with a curse, but He certainly is, especially when He is called alongside Hekate. Psychopomp Hermes Khthonios would lead the recently dead to the Underworld, to Charon to cross the Styx or Acheron, and Hekate Khthonia would lead the hosts of the dead, ghosts as it were, out of the Underworld. The Mysteries They both play important roles in the Eleusinian Mysteries. Hekate it was who helped Demeter find where Kore had been taken. Hermes was the one sent to the Underworld to retrieve Persephone. They both play a role in Persephones ascent and descent each year. Lovers Though at times Hekate is said to have had a mortal husband, Hermes is the only one who is ever considered to possibly be or have been consorted to Her. At any rate, Brimo, who is perhaps Hekate, did indeed lay with Hermes. It is even said that the two of Them have a child together, Hermekate but we know very little of Hermekate and who, what or how popular She/He/It was. Crossroads Both are connected greatly to crossroads, Hekate 3-way and Hermes 3 and 4-way crossroads. They are also both connected to roads and paths in general, and thus are the ones best called on when travelling. In ancient times, and if only we could see such today, it was common to find statues to Hermes, called herms on the roadside these could be normal Hermes statues, or they may be headless statues, and in some cases a simple stacking of stones. Hekate on the other hand had Her triple Hekate statues placed at crossroads. It was common for both of these deities to receive offerings at these road and crossroads shrines. Hermes has an epithet which is Hermes Tricephalos, the Three Headed, usually referring to roads and intersections. Hekate is Hekate Trimorphis, the Three Bodied and Hekate Trioditos, of the Crossroads or Of The Threeways. Conflation I mentioned above, Hermekate. I said we know little about Them. This is true, and in fact some believe that Hermekate is actually a conflation, a merging of Hermes and Hekate together to form another deity entirely. A friend of mine is working on some theories about this sort of conflation, so I won t discuss it much, but this conflation belief is noteworthy. Demeter and Persephone I have already discussed this in the previous Favourite Myths post, but I guess we have to mention it again. Hekate was of course instrumental in Demeters search for Kore and after Persephone was found, Hekate became Her minister and would help lead Her to and from the Underworld each year. And so Hekate is part of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Some speak of the three as the real Triple Goddess of modern Paganism. I think it was in Tara Sanchezs book, Temple of Hekate, that I read the idea that Hekate, in this Triple Goddess is actually the Maiden, Persephone is now the Mother/Wife and Demeter is now the Crone, which is shown via Her bringing barrenness to the world every year, and Her decision to become an old woman while searching for Kore. And of course, as an Underworld Goddess, Hekate certainly is connected to Persephone either way, since Persephone is the Queen of the Underworld. But Hekate is also an earth Goddess, and as such has that connection to Demeter. Artemis Hekate is often conflated with Artemis and sometimes it is hard to tell whether it is Hekate or Artemis in a myth, spell, hymn or piece of art. 14

15 Moon Both of them are of course lunar deities, and it is very common for lunar Goddesses to become conflated. Hunting Hekate is sometimes shown as carrying a bow and golden arrows, dressed in a hunters skirt and boots. She looks a lot like Artemis in such representations, and yet it is Hekate. They are also often both shown carrying torches and followed by hounds. Children Artemis is of course a Goddess of childbirth, come from helping Her mother birth Her younger twin brother Apollon. She is also considered a protector of children, as is Hekate. Both are often conflated with or given the epithet of Kourotrophos, child nurturer. Others Artemis is sometimes given the epithet of Hekate, literally, Artemis Hekate. They share other epithets as well, such as Soteira, Saviour and Phosphorus, as light Goddesses. And of course they are both maiden Goddesses, independent of men. Selene and Artemis Of course we have discussed the conflation of Hekate and Artemis, but today it is more common to see the two mentioned together with Selene. As the Triple Goddess. The title card image of this series is actually of Hekate with Artemis and Selene, though you can t quite tell who is behind Hekate, you can see Their sacred animals in the picture. This Triple Goddess is not entirely a modern thing, as some say it is. It was actually quite popular in Roman poetry, most notably the works of Seneca. Though I am not sure there is any reference to the Maiden-Mother-Crone aspects in this triplicate, that seems to be a more modern idea attached to the Roman Trivia idea. In the modern version, Artemis (or more commonly Roman Diana) is the Maiden, Selene is the Mother and Hekate is the Crone. I am going to go with other pantheons and syncretism/conflation for this one. Isis Isis or Aset from Kemetic religion (Egyptian). A Goddess of the Egyptian Underworld and the dead, a protector of Children and Patroness of magic. Aurelius, The Golden Ass * +Some call me Juno, others Bellona of the Battles, and still others Hecate. Principally the Ethiopians which dwell in the Orient, and the Egyptians which are excellent in all kind of ancient doctrine, and by their proper ceremonies accustomed to worship me, do call me Queen Isis.* + Isis was welcomed into Greek and Roman religions, and the Graeco-Roman mix religion as well. She was heavily syncretised with Hekate, then and now. I am an omnitheist and consider all of the gods to be individual beings, so Isis and Hekate are separate beings. Still, looking at ancient syncretism can tell one much about a deity, by looking at who They were syncretised with. Isis is also a Goddess who is considered to be the friends of slaves and those who are hard done by. This, to me, explains much in why Hekate is also seen the same way despite there not being much evidence for it through lore. The Morrigan I don t know about this in history but it is certainly a modern conflation. The Morrigan is a triple Goddess in Celtic polytheism, the Crow Goddess, the Queen of the Witches, also a War Goddess. 15

16 The Morrigan, as a triple Goddess is made up of three Goddesses, Macha, Badb and Anu. The parallels between each of these three and Hekate is interesting. Macha horses and future telling. Badb Maiden and Crone of the Underworld. Anu Fertility (Hekate is an earth Goddess remember. As the one who helps Persephone ascend each year, She is partially responsible for the return of the fertile seasons). As we know in modern Paganism Hekate is considered the Crone of the Triple Goddess, and via this She is considered a dark Goddess. The Morrigan is also the Crone in this Triple Goddess, also a dark Goddess. And I think this is largely where the conflation arises They are both Crones therefore They are the same Goddess. Through this conflation we can see the crow and raven become sacred animals of Hekate. Ereshkigal Ereshkigal is a Mesopotamian Goddess, Queen of the Underworld. She was syncretised with Hekate in the later Hellenistic period (after Alexander the Great). One myth makes Her a sky Goddess before She was stolen and taken to the Underworld and forced to become the Queen there. I can t find much to connect the two really, being a sky Goddess and then becoming a death Goddess is about all there is that I can see. But it is a historical conflation as well as a modern one. I suspect there is much we don t know about Erishkigal and those things we don t know are what possibly lead to the conflation between the two Goddesses. I can t imagine the Underworld being the only connection and as Queen surely She is better connected to Persephone? Once again the modern conflation is mostly because of the death and dark Goddess aspect Ereshkigal is another Crone Goddess. Others Some of the others I have seen conflated with Hekate, usually based on the Underworld aspect, the Witchcraft aspect or on the Dark Goddess idea are Cerridwen, Hela, The Cailleach, Lilith and Kali. Lucifer is also connected to Her in some traditions, because they are both light bearers/bringers. Modern cultural issues I have decided to, on a whim, merge this with what would have been day 18 which asks, How does this deity stand in terms of gender and sexuality, both historical and UPG. Why? Because that is a modern issue so I am unsure as to why it is separated. To separate it means I either cannot discuss gender and sexuality in this post, or I need to discuss it twice and neither option is satisfactory to me. Even merging the two together, I am finding this the hardest of topics. Modern issues often have little in the way of historical precedence so that s of little help. And when it comes to modern issues that are close to our hearts, sometimes it can be hard to tell what is my feeling that I am projecting onto the Gods, and what the Gods are projecting on to me. Animals Despite the whole dog (and other animals) sacrifice thing, and Her Artemisian role as a huntress, there is some historical precedence that shows Hekate is perhaps a bit of an animal activist. A surprising amount of ancient philosophers who wrote about Hekate were vegetarians and proposed that the Gods, including Hekate, preferred non-meat offerings. Many of these vegetarian philosophers were, or are thought to have been, devotees of Hekate. 16

17 Today as well, many Devotees of Hekate speak of the pull towards, if not animal activism, a care of animals especially animals in need. Thus it is that many are wont to adopt rescue animals or look after stray animals. I myself do similar, taking care of orphaned bunnies until they were able to be released into the wild, taking in a cat who turned up on my doorstep and decided to live with me for a year, taking care of a duck who had injured its wing for a few days. Charity I can t speak to this as being strictly historical as it mostly arises from a particular quote about Hekate that is maybe misinterpreted, maybe not. Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month *deipnon+ and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served. Aristophanes. Some take this to mean that the offering of Hekates Supper is in fact meant to be a charitable act to feed those in need. Others disagree and think that the starving and poor took great risk in stealing Her food or perhaps they are simply allowed to do so by Hekate, but it still doesn t mean we choose who gets the offering. Either way, it s a modern thought now that charitable acts, especially during the Deipnon, are a devotional act to Hekate. Which, since this can be considered SPG, makes Hekate a deity concerned with charity. But it s not for everyone in relation to Hekate so it s okay if you don t connect the two. I still recommend being charitable where possible though. Sexuality and Gender There really isn t much to go on historically. She had some eunuch priests, but that doesn t tell us much really, especially since we don t know why they were eunuchs. Honestly, I don t feel She really cares. By which I mean She doesn t care what or who you are. I think She is more concerned with people making choices and realising truths so in that I think She would be supportive of people coming out as trans or gay or whatever, because in this you make a choice to be who you are. That said, as a liminal deity, it is possible She has a bit of a connection with trans people who could themselves be considered liminal they are neither what they were nor what they want to be, they are somewhere in the middle, transitional and of two worlds. The very movements themselves, trans rights movements and indeed all LGBTQIA+ movements might concern Her because the movements are liminal and transitional as well. They are movements that are reshaping our world, pulling our societies from one place and into the next. But we aren t there yet, we are still in the transitional phases and as such, this would likely mean something to Hekate. Feminism Maybe, kind of. Hekate is a maiden, but perhaps not in the virginal sense. In this She is an independent woman, She has no need of men even if She does work with Them at times. She is an example of what most ancient Hellenic women were not walking around alone, including at night, unmarried, doing things for Herself. She is a leader and She is the one who protects roles usually of men, especially in ancient views. In the modern sense, SPG, we can look at Hekate as the Triple Goddess and Crone to see another role She plays in womens rights. The Crone is, from what I can tell, a modern womans way of getting rid of certain female stereotypes that once we lose the ability to bear children we become useless. The Crone shows that being old and barren is not a bad thing, indeed it is something to aspire to. So Hekate as SPG Crone does play a role in feminism. 17

18 As the Triple Goddess, the one where She is Maiden, Mother and Crone, or when She is simply The Goddess (as She is to some people) She plays a similar role in feminism. Empowering and strong. But, we also know there are certain limiting things about the MMC idea that are not good for feminism. So, it s a hard one. As an Artemisian huntress She perhaps shows another way in which She has a role in feminism. The huntress is a masculine sort of female really. She is the strong and independent woman who can do all those things only men should be able to do according to stereotyping. So, I think Hekate plays a big role in feminism, whether She wants to or not. Mistakes and misconceptions Evil Pretty obvious one, right? But it is a very common view of Her, that She is evil and scary and horrible. I think this comes from multiple assumptions, and of course sources. First source is Christianity. Yeh, as Christianity came to the fore they began to make Hekate into an evil Goddess. The reasoning is quite simple, She was very popular even into Byzantium and what better way to get rid of this Goddess who was limiting the One Gods worshippers than to turn Her into an evil version of herself. Shakespeare I guess is another source with his portrayal of Hekate in Macbeth, but it s quite minor. Crowley had more influence on this modern perception of Hekate with such phrases as, * +she is Hecate, a thing altogether of hell, barren, hideous and malicious, the queen of death and evil witchcraft. How does such come about and become so easily believed of Her? The Underworld She is a Chthonic Goddess, of the Underworld. In todays Christian influenced world, the only underworld that is well known is Hell, and that place is horrible and full of evil things, apparently. Therefore, if Hekate is of the Underworld, it follows She must then be evil as well. But of course, Hades Underworld is not the same as Hell, this is merely a conflation of two words that mean different things. Whilst there are hellish aspects to the Underworld, it is not Hell itself and it doesn t actually follow that everyone and everything down there is evil. After all, the equivalent of heaven is also in the Underworld, so obviously it can t be that evil. Death, the Dead, Ghosts She is a death Goddess and She leads the host of the Dead, ghosts. Death itself is considered evil by some people, and ghosts even more so especially by those who know little about them. While ghosts, including those in Hekates train, can be evil or do horrible things, that doesn t mean they all are and it certainly doesn t mean the one who leads them is evil either. I suppose some may also assume that Hekate is responsible for bringing death to us, as though She is a kind of Reaper that assumption would make Her seem quite a bit more scary and evil. But it s an assumption based on only the word death and nothing else. 18

19 Daimons and Demons She controls daimons. I ve explained in a previous post that daimons are not the same as demons, but the word is close enough to make no matter in this modern age where if it sounds like a duck, who cares if it looks like a mockingbird. Daimons are not evil, necessarily. They are minor deities themselves and some are good and helpful, some are not. Simple as that. But Hekate is also mentioned in the Chaldean Oracles as being the ruler of angels and demons, so this perhaps doesn t help. Except, I guess people ignore the angels part, which suggests She isn t just ruling over demons and evil. Darkness, The Night It s a funny thing, but those deities and creatures of the night are often assumed to also be evil. Perhaps this is some primal fear of the darkness in us, a fear of loss of light. The fact nasty folklore creatures generally come out at night probably doesn t help matters vampires for instance are killed by the daylight, therefore, night must be evil. The part where werewolves turn at full moon, joining both night and the moon, both aspects of Hekate, has double the effect on Her being evil. The fact that Hekate is also a light Goddess seems to escape peoples notice. I do have to wonder at the people who think all night things are evil though possums are kind of cute, and owls are pretty awesome. Crossroads and Cemeteries Cemeteries I probably don t need to go into, as it ties into the aforementioned death idea. Crossroads though, largely associated with demonic activity today I may love Supernatural but they probably aren t helping matters here have a bit of history for being places that are, not so much evil, but places where evil gathers. Witchcraft I don t think I really need to go into this one do I? Witches are evil, so Hekate the Goddess of Witchcraft must also be evil. But we re actually not evil, mostly, and so neither is She. Go away. Okay, I won t go into how witchcraft is viewed as evil, instead let me point out how it is not. Witchcraft is the craft of using magic, what one does with it could result in something good or evil just like a knife can carve a toy, cut up food or kill a person. Witchcraft can heal or harm, curse or bless, help or hinder, poison or medicate. Witchcraft is merely a tool, it is not evil or good, it simply is. Even if every person who used witchcraft was evil, that still doesn t make witchcraft itself evil because some individual could still choose to use it for good. So it isn t evil. And neither is its Goddess. Hekate Is not evil, but I am not sure we can entirely call Her good either I, personally, don t think the Gods can be categorised so easily into human terms. Hekate rules over things that can be good or evil, depending on the moment, the circumstances. She can bring us good or evil. She controls demons and angels, She is of the dark but She is a light Goddess too. She leads the dead, but She leads the living as well. If we can divide the Gods into good and evil, then Hekate is a balance and this seems right to me as the Goddess of the Crossroads it does fit that She is in the middle, ready to help us along whichever path we choose. 19

20 The Crone I had this big thing typed out for this misconception of Hekate, but then I thought, being so long, it is maybe better as its own post about the Triple Goddess rather than strictly about Hekate. So for this post I will keep it short and (not very) sweet. A modern view of Hekate is that of Her as an old woman with silvery hair and wrinkles, looking ancient and wise but still beautiful. She is the Crone to Artemis as Maiden and Selene as Mother. I ve already discussed this a few times in this series. Hekate isn t/wasn t a crone or old woman historically. She was always a youngish woman, maiden or mother, but young. She wasn t portrayed old, She wasn t described as being old or taking on the role of someone who is aged like Demeter was in the Rape of Persephone. She was always young. The Triple Goddess, and Crone aspect therein, are a mix of influences from the witch stereotype of old women (and Hekate is the ultimate witch), Crowleys lore and Robert Graves ideas that were erroneously said to be based on history. We know Hekate existed as a triple Goddess with Selene and Artemis, at least in Roman times but there isn t anything to suggest any maiden-mother-crone triplicate. We also know that Hekate was a three formed Goddess in Her own right but each of those three forms were, if human headed, always young (when I say young, I mean like 30ish). There is more to it than all of that, a lot more, but as I said, I want to make a post about that in future. There are people who know Hekate was never a crone in history, but they still see Her as the crone. And this is actually okay for the most part She will be who She wishes to be when She shows Herself to us. If She assumes the role of crone for some people, then so be it. But it must be said, this is SPG (Shared Personal Gnosis), this modern conception of Her it is not lore, it is not based in history. Hekate as crone is SPG. The biggest problem though, in my opinion, is that so many people have written about this modern view of Hekate and made it seem like it is historical, it is lore, it is fact. And so we have the problem where there are way too many people who don t actually know that Hekate was a maiden historically. UPG and SPG is fine, I won t gainsay it. But asserting SPG or UPG as fact and universal is not okay. And people not being able to tell the difference between SPG and historical lore is also not okay. Not just not okay, but it s also a bit dangerous. As others before me have noted when a deity behaves in ways that are completely contrary to their historical nature, it might be a good idea to go through all the various processes to find out if that deity is actually the deity they say they are! There are entities out there who will lie and trick people for their own advantage or pleasure modern misconceptions and assertions of SPG as fact make this sort of thing far more likely. You see Hekate as a crone in the triple goddess, good for you. But please know the difference between modern conception and historical lore. It s not some trivial debate over historical purity it s actually a matter of safety. Today we are looking at my favourite myth/s of Hekate. This is a hard one, because in truth there are actually little in the ways of myths that are about Hekate. She is mentioned in various myths, of course, but She doesn t really have any that are focused on Her specifically. Best known perhaps is Hekates role in the Mysteries, for Hekate is instrumental in Demeters search for Kore/Persephone. The following is a few different passages from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. * +But no one, either of the deathless gods or of mortal men, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only tender-hearted Hecate, bright-coiffed, the daughter of Persaeus, heard the girl from her cave, and the lord 20

21 Helios, Hyperion s bright son, as she cried to her father, the Son of Cronos. But he was sitting aloof, apart from the gods, in his temple where many pray, and receiving sweet offerings from mortal men. * + But when the tenth enlightening dawn had come, Hecate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news: Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, what god of heaven or what mortal man has rapt away Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know. So, then, said Hecate. And the daughter of rich-haired Rhea answered her not, but sped swiftly with her, holding flaming torches in her hands. So they came to Helios, who is watchman of both gods and men, and stood in front of his horses* + Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.* + So we see that Hekate, along with Helios, is the only one to hear Kores cries, She tells Demeter what She heard and led Her to Helios, She was there at the end when mother and daughter were finally reunited and She becomes an Underworld Goddess due to Her association with Persephone. I really like how it speaks of Her as being tender hearted, so much lore about Hekate today makes her out to be some harsh and forbidding Goddess and She can be. But She is also extremely lovely and loving, and you don t hear about that as much. But I think my favourite myth about Hekate is actually from Theogony, which tells how Hekate is honoured by Zeus and the other Gods. And she [Asteria] conceived and bare Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favour according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favourably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her. Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So, then. albeit her mother s only child, she is honoured amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours. While it s not some fun and super exciting story from mythology, it is nonetheless my favourite piece about Her. Because it shows just how vast and powerful She is, with dominion over, well, almost everything it seems. This really shows a lot about Her, again outside of the commonly discussed darker and scary aspects we see so much today. And I love that. 21

22 Today we re looking at Hekate and Her role in the Underworld, the afterlife and in death. Hekate and Persephone only tender-hearted Hecate, brightcoiffed, the daughter of Persaeus, heard the girl from her cave, and the lord Helios, Hyperion s bright son, as she cried to her father, the Son of Cronos. Homeric Hymn to Demeter A large part of Hekates role, and often cited as the beginning of Her role, in the Underworld happened when Kore was taken by Hades. Hekate was one of the very few witnesses to Kores kidnapping, though She didn t see it with Her own eyes, She did hear the noise of it all, the cries of Kore as She was taken. Hecate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news: Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, what god of heaven or what mortal man has rapt away Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know. Homeric Hymn to Demeter Hekate it was who approached the mourning Demeter and offered Her the valuable information, as well as suggested speaking with Helios. Hekate was, therefore, instrumental in Demeter finding Her daughter. She was also there when Demeter and Persephone finally met each other again, after Hermes leads Persephone back to the Earth. But it is Hekate who then takes this role afterwards, as the one who leads Persephone on Her journey to and from the Underworld each year. It was in this way that Hades gave Hekate a place in His kingdom, ever after, making Her a Goddess of the Underworld. Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone. Homeric Hymn to Demeter Epithets of Hekate as Guide Hegemonen: Guide (Orphic Hymn to Hekate, PGM). Propolos: She Who Leads, Guide, Companion Propolousa. Guide, companion, servant. (Sophocles, The Root Cutters). Prokathegetis: She who goes down before, Leader Aregos: Helper (PGM) Episkopos: Guardian, One who Watches Over, Overseer (PGM) Phylake: Guard, Who Keeps Watch and Ward (PGM) Leader of the Restless Dead Hekate I call you with Those who untimely passed away and with Those heroes who have died without a wife PGM IV The Restless Dead are, generally, those who enter the Underworld but are unable to pay the fare to Charon and cross into the rest of the afterlife. They despondently, despairingly, wander the shores of the Acheron or Styx river, perhaps forever or perhaps only for 100 years. Others of the Restless Dead may be those who Hekate allows to temporarily leave Tartarus or other areas in the Underworld, as well as those who had untimely deaths or Heroes who died without a wife. Hekate Sepulchral pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade nightly seen. Orphic Hymn to Hekate. Hekate is one who takes charge of these restless wandering souls. At night, especially the night of the dark moon, She leads the host of the Restless Dead to wander the paths of the Earth. When we lay out supper for Her on the Deipnon, it is not meant to be just for Her but also these restless souls. The Deipnon supper is an offering to the Goddess, but also a propitiatory offering to the Restless Dead, that they might not frighten or harm us. 22

23 And then, when thou hast heedfully sought the grace of the goddess, retreat from the pyre; and let neither the sound of feet drive thee to turn back, nor the baying of hounds, lest haply thou shouldst maim all the rites and thyself fail to return duly to thy comrades. Argonautica, Apollonius Rhodius When we lay out the Deipnon, we are meant to walk away without looking back, and we are meant to strive to not go back out into the night again afterwards. The Restless Dead are the reason why. To look back to where you left the offering is to risk catching a glimpse of the dead that Hekate is leading to catch that glimpse can lead to madness. In this we can see that Hekate as a leader and guide to Persephone is extended further, as She takes on the role of leader and guide to these Restless Dead. Epithets of Hekate of the Dead, Night Wanderer Anassa Eneroi: Queen of the Dead Nerteron Prytanin: Mistress of the Dead Psychopompe: Soul Guide (more a description of multiple deities, including Hekate). Stratelatis: Leader of Hosts/General (PGM) Nykhia: Nocturnal. Of the Night Nykteria: of the Night: Nykti: of the Night Nyktipolos: Night wandering Oistroplaneia: Spreader of Madness, Causing the Wanderings of Madness Keybearer, One Before the Gates One of Hekates roles in the Underworld is as the key bearer and guardian of the gates. It is not always specific which gates She actually controls and guards, but it seems that She guards more than one gate in the Underworld perhaps She guards them all. Hear me, you who parts the adamantine gates One beside the gates gate-breaker PGM 2720 & Most often, when it s not just generic gates, the description given is that of unbreakable steel or adamantine. These are either the gates to the entire Underworld which Cerberus also guards, or the gates specifically to Tartarus. There is mention, in the Aeneid, of Hekate giving the Erinyes Tisiphone rule over and guardianship of the gates to Tartarus but to be fair, in the Aeneid, some references appear to give the impression that Hekate rules the entire Underworld. In front is the gate, huge and pillared with solid adamant, that no warring force of men nor the very habitants of heaven may avail to overthrow; it stands up a tower of iron, and Tisiphone sitting girt in bloodstained pall keeps sleepless watch at the entry by night and day but to me Hecate herself, when she gave me rule over the groves of Avernus, taught how the gods punish, and guided me through all her realm. Virgils, Aeneid Hekate is also said to guard over the gates to Elysium, She holds the key and only She can unlock and open these gates to those who are worthy of entrance. In the Orphic tradition, one of the passwords to enter Elysium is the name of Hekate, as Brimo (these references are found on various small gold-leaf tablets). Epithets of Hekate as Keybearer and Gate Keeper Kleidoukhos: Keeper of the Keys (The Orphic Hymn to Hekate). Empylios: at the Gate (Orphic Argonautica; inscription from temple of Zeus in Nemea). Propylaia: One before the Gate Prothyraea: Before the Gate (Orphic Hymn to Prothyraea; conflation). Rixipyle: She who throws down the gates (PGM 2751). 23

24 Episkopos: Guardian, One who Watches Over, Overseer. (PGM) Phylake: Guard, Who Keeps Watch and Ward (PGM) Other References After that he brought up Hecate and she brought Cerberus along, and he drew down the moon. Philopseudes, Lucian and sharply howled around her the hounds of hell Argonautica, Apollonius Rhodius As leader of dogs, Hekate is sometimes referenced as being the keeper (or similar) of Cerberus, the hound who helps guard the underworld. Along with this, the sound of dogs, especially many dogs, howling and baying in the night is said to be a sign of Hekate as She wanders through the night sometimes alone, sometimes leading the dead. and dogs seemed to howl through the dusk as the goddess came / A baying of hounds was heard through the halflight: the goddess was coming, Hecate Aeneid, Virgil Epithets Philoskylax: Lover of Dogs. Skylakitin: Lady of the Dogs. Kynegetis: Leader of Dogs. Kynolygmate: Howling like a Dog / Who Howls Dog like. Kyon Melaina: Black Dog. calling aloud on Hecate, mistress of heaven and hell nor in vain hath Hecate given thee rule in the groves of Avernus but to me Hecate herself, when she gave me rule over the groves of Avernus, taught how the gods punish, and guided me through all her realm. Aeneid, Virgil night-wandering Brimo, of the underworld, queen among the dead Argonautica, Apollonius Rhodius At times Hekate seems to be considered the overall ruler and queen of the entire Underworld, instead of or perhaps in addition to Hades and Persephone. This perhaps isn t so surprising, given Her other roles at various times as Queen of the Night, Queen of the World and Queen of the Universe itself. Epithets Anassa: Queen. Anassa Eneroi: Queen of the Dead. Basileia: Queen, Princess. Nerteron Prytanin: Mistress of the Dead. Domestic Goddess This is an oddly lesser known aspect of Hekate, Her role in the home. In Athens it is stated that nearly every house had a shrine to Her, a Hekataion, just outside their front door. This is where many would leave the Deipnon offering to Her and the dead, if they weren t leaving it at the crossroads. As The One Before the Gates, and Keeper of the Keys, She is of course a Goddess of boundaries and protector of them as well. Thus it is that Hekate is the protector of the home, She is the one to call on (along with Hermes) for home security purposes. For the Deipnon it is common to leave out for Her supper not just food offerings, but also the sweepings from your home, altar and shrines. Ashes, food from the floor, dust and dirt. An odd offering I admit, but it is what we do. This is part of the process of getting rid of the old and making room for the new an integral part of the dark moon, and fitting in Her role as Goddess of the Crossroads, moving from one path to a new one as it were. Being Kleidoukhos, Nurse to the Young, also brings Hekate into a more domestic role as well since if you have children, then caring for them is part of the domestic role that we take on in our homes and as parents. Oceanic Goddess 24

25 Another aspect that I rarely see mentioned, and in truth know little about so I am having to study this as I write. In the Orphic hymn to Hekate She is named Einalian, which means of the sea. And of course there are multiple mentions of Her dominion over the sea in Theogony. And she *Asteria+ conceived and bare Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea.* + For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her.* + * +and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. From this we can see that Hekate, along with Poseidon (Earth-Shaker) is one to call on for help in getting a good catch when fishing at sea, but She can also have the opposite effect and make sure you catch nothing. It should also be noted that one of Her sacred animals is a fish, the red mullet to be specific, and is a fitting offering to Her. We can assume that Hekates dominion over the sea comes, in part, from Her grandmother Eurybia who is the Goddess of the power over and mastery of the sea. Eurybia is also the daughter of Pontus who IS the sea. So we can see here a direct family line leading to Hekate. As the conflated mother of Scylla, who is a sea monster, we see another familial connection to the sea. And we should probably discuss the conflation itself of Hekate with Scyllas mother Crataeis who is, under Her usual name of Keto, a sea Goddess in Her own right specifically the Goddess of the dangers of the sea and of sea monsters, such as Scylla obviously, but also sharks and whales and the like. Ouranic Goddess Not much is ever written about Hekate as a Ouranic (sky, heavens) Goddess, but She is one. In the Orphic hymn She is named Ourania, and of course there is mention of Her dominion over the heavens in Theogony. Orphic hymn * +lovely dame, of earthly, watery, and celestial frame* + Theogony She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods.* + * +but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Asteria, Hekates mother, is the Starry One and She is the Goddess of night divination dreams and astrology and the like. Hekate obviously inherits certain of Her witchcraft aspects from Her mother, and it stands to reason that She would inherit some of the heavens as well. We know, of course, that Hekate is a lunar Goddess, of the dark/new moon, and She is often depicted with a crescent moon. We can assume the moon is a Ouranic body, being a heavenly body but there is some mention of it perhaps being a Chthonic body since it is another earth. Personally I consider it purely Ouranic and connect it to Hekates Ouranic aspects. Festivals and sacred days One of the difficulties in Reconstructionism and Revivalism of ancient religions is that sometimes things get a bit confused and the confusion becomes a misconception of history. Such is the case for some of Hekates festivals. There are some modern festivals that purport to be ancient festivals but they are not exactly when they should be, according to ancient times. Some people really hate these festivals, but many people observe them, and so they are festivals of Hekate, correct timing or not. 25

26 So yes, I will be including the modern festivals here. But we will begin with the ancient festivals. Ancient Traditional Festivals The Deipnon Date: Every dark moon (astronomical new moon), when there is no sun light reflecting off the moon. When the moon rises at dawn and sets at dusk, and as such is not even in the sky at night. But if it were in the sky at night, it wouldn t be visible to us anyway. Why: The Deipnon, also known as Hekates Supper, is part of the Men Kata Theion or Sacred Month of ancient Hellenism. During the lunar month most days are sacred to specific deities or entities and we honour Them on that day usually with a simple libation, hymn and incense. The final day of the lunar month was sacred to Hekate and is a little more elaborate than most of the other sacred days. It is when we honour Hekate as the Crossroads Goddess and leader of the dead, and as a night Goddess as well, but it is also the day we let go of the old, clean out the unwanted to make way for the new. How: There are a few things we do on the Deipnon, but I am actually not going to get into it too much since I have already written about it so you can go read that! I will simply say, we make an offering to Hekate in the night, left at the crossroads or an equivalent. We also clean the house, altar and shrines and finish those things that need to be finished before the new lunar month begins. Noumenia When: New Moon (when first sliver of a crescent can be seen in the sky. Day after the dark moon). Why: Noumenia is the first day of the Men Kata Theion in honour of domestic or household deities, Hestia and Zeus Ktesios for the most part, and Selene as moon Goddess. Hekate is included on this day because She is both moon Goddess and domestic Goddess. How: Basic offering of incense, hymn and libation to Her and the others (and any other domestic deities you want to honour). Begin new projects, write out plans for the month, fill in your calendar and other preparation things. Kourotrophos When: Multiple dates. 27 Gamelion, January to February. 2016, February 6th. 21 Hekatombaion, which is usually July, this year of 2016 it was 26th July. 16 Metageitnion, which is usually in August, this year, 2016 it is on August 18th. Why: Sacrifice to Kourotrophos, Goddess of raising children. Hekate and Artemis hold the epithet of Kourotrophos, and thus are also honoured on these days. It is possible that Hekate and Artemis were not honoured on all of these dates in all places.* How: Offerings and/or sacrifice to the aforementioned three Goddesses, hymns and libations and everything. Processions were apparently one aspect, of children and perhaps their mothers, probably pregnant women. Bendideia When: 19 Thargelion, May-ish. 2016, May 26th. Why: I only sometimes see this named as Hekates festival. It is in honour of Bendis, who became conflated with Artemis and Hekate. The festival rites do seem supportive of Hekate either way. Not much is know about the 26

27 Goddess Bendis or Her festival, especially the original Thracian version, but the Athenian version has some information. How: Long procession during the day, feasting at night and horse racing with lit torches (horses and torches does equate with Hekate). It was an all night festival, possibly all day and then night. Modern Annual Festivals January 31st A day to honour Hekate. No idea why or what it involves traditionally other than, honour Hekate! May Full Moon Rite of Her Sacred Fires A full moon ritual in honour of Hekate Phosphorous, developed by Sorita D Este for the Covenant of Hekate and still relatively new, less than a decade old but is exceedingly popular. This is a specific ritual, and you can find all the relevant information on the CoH website a complete outline, with materials needed, hymns included and everything. It can be done day or night, inside or outside, on the full moon itself or the day before or after. August 13th Hekates Night and/or Hekatesia Hekates Night is a festival of propitiation, where we ask Hekate to not send nasty storms to us. Now, Hekate isn t really a storm Goddess for the most part but I can find precedence for this! In Samothrace, the Zerinthian cave is where they sacrificed dogs to Hekate and the Kabeiroi, in the hopes that it might save them from terror and storms. So we are meant to leave an offering at the crossroads for Hekate and ask Her to keep away damaging storms. Though personally, with the Samothrace connection, one might think caves would be more appropriate. Most think the date for this comes from the Roman Nemoralia festival, which is in honour of Diana who is conflated with the Greek Artemis, and thus with Hekate. This festival had torch processions and was a time to ask for healing, but had nothing to do with storms and didn t actually include Hekate, from what I can tell. It is also possible the date is a confusion regarding one of the above Kourotrophos festivals, which have movable dates but one usually falls in August. Hekatesia is a different festival, that I actually can t find all that much about. But this is the date given in the Starry Bull calendar, and the August full moon is one of the dates set out as possible according to Neokoroi. That Neokoroi link contains a ritual outline if you re interested you may like to use it for this weekend. October 31st Halloween or Samhain For Halloween and Samhain, well, I needn t explain the obvious conflation here, need I? She is an underworld Goddess and leads the host of the dead, thus She is a Goddess to be honoured for festivals of the dead. It is, of course, not a traditional or historical festival for Hekate (She isn t Celtic after all). Note: In Australia and the southern hemisphere, Samhain is on April 31st and thus would be Hekates night as well. November 16th Hekates Night A thoroughly modern festival, apparently it has something to do with Hekate being part of the Wild Hunt. I don t even know! I only heard of this one this year! Let s not discuss my wilful ignorance. November 30th Hekate of the Crossroads Another modern festival, for honouring Hekate of the Crossroads. I suppose one would make an offering at the crossroads and do things that evoke the idea of Hekate as the Goddess of the crossroads. Things to do with transition and change seem a likely choice. 27

28 As we can see the modern festivals are, for the most part, a bit empty and missing information. Other than the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, and Samhain of course, the others listed don t really give us much in the way of ideas on how to celebrate the festivals. This is the problem with just grabbing a date and giving it to a deity without some thought into what that date should mean and be about. Hekate has so many aspects to Her, that saying a day is about Her really doesn t tell us much. Is it a light or dark festival? Is it a life or death festival? Is it magic or mundane? So, if you re going to create your own festival make sure you create some details for it as well. Others Full Moons Modern again, but many people associate every full moon with Hekate. As a lunar Goddess this makes sense, but personally I would say the full moon is the night for honouring all lunar deities of your particular tradition, not only Hekate. Night Time Hekate is a night Goddess which means that night itself could be considered sacred to Her, especially dark moonless nights that are lit by starlight (bringing Her mother Asteria into it as well). Dusk and Dawn This is a bit of UPG. As a Goddess of transitions (crossroads, change etc), a Goddess of Night and the Goddess who brings the light I think it stands to reason that dawn and dusk might be sacred times to Her. They are both transitional times, but not only this, dusk is the transition into darkness and dawn is what brings the light. 28