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Before I dive in to this blog post I will say that there is so so much information about this goddess, I will give you a quick break down but I really do encourage you to go and research her for yourself, she is pretty fascinating.
Hecate is the chief goddess presiding over magic, witchcraft, the moon, necromancy and ghosts. She is also associated with crossroads, household protection and family prosperity. Hecate has also been linked to birth as her familiar is a black dog and they have long been associated with birth and death.
Hecate witnessed the abduction of Persephone to the underworld by Hades and assisted the search for her, when Persephone was finally found Hecate embraced her and has been her companion whenever Persephone is in the underworld. ( Persephone is also fascinating so I can see me doing a blog post about her as well ).
Hecate was represented as a woman wearing a long gown and carrying two torches, often accompanied by a pack of dogs. She was later seen as a triple formed goddess, either as 3 separate women or a single goddess with 3 faces. This is where the maiden, mother and crone come in. The 3 faces of Hecate are said to represent the 3 phases in a woman’s life. The Maiden, so full of wonder, youth, joy and energy. The Mother, protective, fertile, nurturing and the Crone, older, wiser, calmer, the perfect teacher to the maiden and the cycle continues. The 3 faces of Hecate also have another meaning, as she is the goddess of cross roads so the 3 faces allow her to see in all directions, making her a great deity for travel, new beginnings and focus.
Left to Right:- Drawing of a marble statue by Richard Cosway 1768 - 1805, Hecate :- Procession to a witches sabbath by Jusepede Ribera, 15th century and a depiction of Hecate as the 3 formed goddess.
Hecate is associated with the moon so if you want to really harness her power then during the night is a great time to ask her to work with you. Even better during a new moon as it symbolises new beginnings. Make offerings of cake, eggs, cheese, meat, bread and mead. Then meditate and ask her to come forward to help in your practice, it may take a while but be patient and keep your altar offerings fresh and new.
Hecate has many symbols and items which are used to represent her, such as dogs, serpents, keys, daggers, torches and an Ancient Greek symbol called a Stropholos or Hecate’s wheel. The symbol is a labyrinth serpent made up of 3 parts with a central spike ( sometimes depicted as an X or a Y ) and is said to depict rebirth and renewal, wearing it or having on your altar will welcome Hecate in to your practice and bring protection and blessings to your home.
Hecate’s Wheel or Stropholos
I was recently blessed by Hecate, I’ve been wanting to work with her for a while and as part of our workshops at Altar Collective we do a monthly deep meditation. During my meditation I reached out and asked Hecate to show herself to me, she did! And all of my practice since then has been with her in mind, it is really comforting to know that a deity has decided to join you on your journey even if it is only for a short time.
Let us know if you have had any personal experience with this deity, we love hearing about other peoples paths and practices. If you want to you can join our online community just click the link and it will take you to our online coven Facebook page. All are welcome >>>>>Altar Collective Coven.
