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Who is Hekate?

To some she is Hecate, others Hekate. For many, she comes without a
name revealing herself during times of great personal pain and loss. She
is the bringer of power and healing. She spins the wheel of time, weaving
her magick and mystery throughout. The fiery spark that lives in all the
universe. The spark that fuels her chosen, the witches, as they weave
their spells and rituals. She is the Witch Mother.

Hekate is as ancient as the spark that ignited the universe. She has been
given many names and roles as humans have tried to understand her.

Witch Mother, Keeper of Keys,

Crossroads Guardian and She
Who Lights The Way
Hekate's many roles can seem overwhelming for newcomers to her, as
can her presence. Hekate is the Anima Mundi, the fiery spark that fuels of
all the universe. She is the river beneath the river. From her cave deep
within the earth, she stirs her cauldron of stars that pour out to become
the river which creates the ocean and then evaporates to become the
stars that fall back to earth as rain. For centuries, long before the Greeks
learned of her, she was known as Mother of All.

To the ancients what we now call witchcraft was medicine, thus Hekate
who was Mother of All was the giver of healing. It can be challenging for
our minds that are so programmed by society to see witchcraft as
medicine and to understand Hekate as the bestower of this power. We
also have been forced to understand medicine as only curative and
disconnected from the natural world. Hekate restores the true
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knowledge that medicine is all that is good for the mind, body and soul.
The source is the natural world, which we are part of.

Over the thousands of years that humans have tried to comprehend

Hekate, she has been assigned many roles and abilities as attempts to
understand her power through our limited abilities.

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Some of Hekate's many roles and epithets.

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Hekate: Goddess of Witches
To her chosen, Hekate is the Witch Mother, our spiritual leader from
whom we came. She lights our path, protecting us even when we are
unaware. Hekate abides.

If you are newly awakened to her presence, read these tips for answering
Hekate's call.

She is the hidden power within her witches that is now awakening. Her
powers are beyond compare. She is the Dark Mother who rules over all
the universe. Her mother was the stars and her father the darkness.

Go Deeper: Hekate's Origin Story

Keeper of the Keys

Her archetypal keys represent the opening to the mysterious and her
guidance along our earth-bound journeys. She is Anima Mundi, the very
soul of all creation. She is the essence, the vibration and the magick.
Unknowable, yet as close as our breath. To her witches, she is The
Mother. Liberator. The One.

Hekate holds the keys to the unseen worlds. She stands at the juncture
of the mundane and mysterious.

Go Deeper: Hekate's Symbols: Keys - History, Meaning and Uses

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Triformis, Trimorphis: Hekate as The
Triple Goddess
Hekate's role as Keeper of the Keys is vital to understanding her essence
as Anima Mundi, the Soul of the World. Other ancient writers used this
metaphor to describe her power as the Mediator between humans and
the deeper world. Within the Persephone myth cycle, she replicates this
archetype. She is the guardian to Persephone when she is deeply
troubled, she guides her back and forth, ensuring the seasons change,
and she is the keeper of the keys of wisdom and transformation.

Hekate, Persephone and Demeter form one version of the Triple

Goddess. The Triple Goddess to the ancient writers represented the
power of transformation, the ability to shapeshift and the seasonal
progression. In this way, the Triple Goddess is Triformis (Three Formed)
and Trimorphis (Three Morphed). The Triple Goddess also represented
the three visible phases of the moon. Thus, Hekate as part of the Triple
Goddess was often associated with Selene (Luna in Latin)
and Artemis (Diana).

Go deeper: Hekate as the Triple Goddess

Hekate's Name
The Dark Mother from whose womb we are born, and to whom we must
return. Goddess of Witches. Necromancer. Healer. Terrifying Queen of
the Underworld. This is Hekate or Hecate. She cares not how you spell or
pronounce her name. She is beyond such things.

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Go Deeper: Hekate's Name: Origins, Meanings, Pronunciations And More

Hekate's Horde of Animals and

Spirits
Her witches are part of her horde. This is our spiritual family of
goddesses, gods and other etheric beings. Ancestors of flesh and spirit,
the wrongful dead. She is the devourer of flesh, eater of filth and the
unconquerable one. Her animal companions are included in the horde.

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 Hekate's animals. Look for them appearing in your dreams and waking
life.[/caption]

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Go Deeper: Hekate's Horde: Spirits, The Restless Dead And Witchcraft

Hekate's Witchcraft
Associated with ancient medicine, from healing of the mind to inducing
madness in those who attempt to abuse her, Hekate herself and her
witches have always practiced witchcraft that seeks to bless her chosen
and banish those who harm. She is the fearless guide who resides in the
spaces between the world of humans and the world of spirits, offering us
a way for spiritual transformation. She resides at the crossroads where
we transcend the material to dive into the unseen river that is her realm.
For all her otherworldly roles, she is also Enodia, which translates as "The
Way," but symbolically refers to her powers over the civilized world,
including roads and perhaps even waste management. Thus, her
medicine is that of both the world of spirits and the mundane.

Go Deeper: Hekate: Enter The Cauldron of Rebirth

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 A basic spell is to light a candle with a sigil of Hekate and then envision
your intention being blessed by her.

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Hekate's Garden: The Poison That
Heals And The Witch
What is for certain is that Hekate's Witches have always been associated
with magick, medicine and mystery. We are the dangerous sorceresses
whose herbals bring healing or poisoning, depending on our needs.

Hekate's eternal daughters, Medea and Circe, brought forward the

practice of pharmakeia, plant spirit medicine. In the early myths, these
stories are of healing, while the later ones twist their tales into spiteful
vengeance of out-of-control wild women..

Go Deeper: Hekate's Garden, Botanical Magic and Pharmakeia

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Some of the plant spirits in Hekate's Garden.

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Hekate,Women, The
Marginalized and Children
The history of Hekate is the history of women, especially those of us who
are deemed witches. For some of us, we truly are, but many of the
women persecuted were not. They were simply independent,
unruly outlaws of their times. Because of the entwinement between how
Hekate is portrayed in historical records and the patriarchal
disempowerment of women, there is a necessity to step beyond the
history to learn from our ancestors and to listen to our souls. However,
the history provides rich detail while reminding us that we must always
be wary of the powerful.

Go deeper: The Rise of Hekate and Her Witches

Hekate's strong benevolence towards women extends to their children in

her role as Kourotrophos, Guardian of Children. Ancient mothers would
adorn their offspring with sacred cords that protected them from harm.
In our modern times, Hekate's power as a protector of the vulnerable
extends to all those marginalized by the powerful.

Go deeper: Hekate, Guardian of the Children: Ritual of Blessing,

Protection and Rescue

and Hekate: Guardian of the Marginalized

Hekate's Companions
Women were suspect, and still are. The system sought to rob us of our
power. Hekate as an archetype of the powerful woman/witch has

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endured a great deal at the hands of men, whether through their words
or actions. Her eternal witches, such as Circe and Medea, have also been
defiled throughout history. They, too, are emerging as mighty forces
today. For me, they are my closest spirit guides. They speak to me of the
truth about our Witch Mother, which is often in stark contrast to the
history. Hekate is deeply connected to several other goddesses such as
Artemis (Diana), Persephone, Demeter, and Cybele. She is also linked
through modern witches to goddesses such as The Morrigan, Freya and
Lilith.

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Some of the goddesses closely connected to Hekate

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Hekate and the Darkness
She is The Star Walker, reigning over the night from above, yet she is
also the one who wanders the night to rescue lost souls, while bringing
vengeance to those who defile her beloveds. She is the Dark Mother who
offers respite to the weary and the banisher of evil.

Go Deeper: Deeper Into The Darkness: Hekate and Soul Retrieval

Hekate and the Dark Moon

The dark moon, the night of the astrological new moon, has been sacred
to Hekate's Witches since ancient times. On this night, sacred rites are
performed in her honor.

Go Deeper: Honoring Hekate on the Dark Moon: Suggestions for Rituals,

Correspondences and Offerings for The Deipnon

Hekate and the Moon

Indeed to the ancients the moon was under Hekate's domain. In addition
to her association with the dark moon, she was revered as a Moon
Goddess. The moon's deep association with women and witchcraft and
the goddesses of both, further illustrates the complexities of Hekate's
vast powers.

Go Deeper: Hekate and the Moon.

Hekate's Wheel: She Is The Weaver of

Time On Which We Tread
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Hekate's Wheel, associated with her since ancient days, has also been
referred to as the strophalos and is associated with the iynx. This
spinning wheel is the symbolic representation of her as the Anima Mundi
who creates all, including time and our fates. She has governance over
The Fates, who are part of her horde.

Go Deeper: Hekate's Symbols: Wheel - History, Meaning and Uses

Hekate and the Moon

Indeed to the ancients the moon was under Hekate's domain. In addition
to her association with the dark moon, she was revered as a Moon
Goddess. The moon's deep association with women and witchcraft and
the goddesses of both, further illustrates the complexities of Hekate's
vast powers.

Go Deeper: Hekate and the Moon.

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Use these correspondences to summon Hekate

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Her Witches Are Her Chosen
We return to Hekate for she is the immovable yet always evolving soul of
the witch. There is no separation between her and her kin. Certainly not a
goddess for everyone. Her witches know whose they are. We know our
time has come.

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Our awakening is now. Remember whose you are.

Go Deeper: Together We Rise

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 Historical Hekate
The origins of Hekate lie in the mists of the distant past. The most likely
beginning of Hekate was in Asia Minor and parts of Eastern Europe.
From these regions, her cult spread to Ancient Greece where she was
viewed as a Titan. Unlike the rest of her Titanic pantheon, she wasn't
killed by the upstart Olympians. Instead Zeus gave her dominion over
land, sea and sky, according to Hesiod's Theogony (approximately 8th
century BCE).

The Ancient Greeks worshiped Hekate in various ways, notably she was
seen as a matron watching over households. It is from this role that the
common contemporary practice of giving her offerings on the dark
moon grew. In ancient Greece, a Hekate's Supper was left out, usually at
a three-way crossroads, to seek her favor over a household for the
coming month. Her association with the number three extended to her
being viewed as a triple goddess.

Go deeper: Hekate's Library: 13 Essential Titles

Ancient Hekate's Many Roles

From the ancient sources, we know that Hekate was seen as a liminal
goddess, standing between worlds, particularly at the threshold of life
and death. She was given many (over 200) epithets including Mother of
All, Queen, Liberator, Mistress of Corpses, and World Soul. The variety of
the titles bestowed upon her by the ancients often appears
contradictory. We need to keep in mind two things. One is that the
ancient writers held vastly divergent views of Hekate. The other is that
Hekate has always been a complex goddess with multiple roles and
abilities.

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As the patriarchy grew in power, and as Christianity spread, Hekate was
redacted, defiled and minimized by those in command. Where she was
once Hesiod's all powerful goddess, to whom Zeus succumbed, she
became an evil crone.

Go deeper: Hekate: Goddess of Our Time

Torch Bearing Goddess of the

Underworld
During this time, her image as a goddess of the underworld was also
born. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hekate answers Persephone's
cries when no one else does. She becomes Persephone's guide between
the Underworld and the human one, using her torches to light the way
along the journey. Hekate as a torch-bearer or lamp-carrier became one
of the dominant themes of her depictions during ancient times.

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 Lamp in the form of a bust of Hekate. Greek Hellenistic Period. 2nd–1st
century B.C. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston[/caption]

The Importance of Ancient Hekate

While we will never know for certain the extent of her adoration among
the ancient Greeks, there is evidence suggesting that she was an
important goddess, particularly with common people. In addition, there

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are many ancient coins, statues, and other works of art depicting Hekate
during this period.

Go deeper: Hekate's Library: 13 Essential Titles

Writings About Ancient Hekate

The Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), an ancient text combining Greek,
Roman and Egyptian deities, portrays Hekate as an all-purpose goddess.
In many spells, she is addressed as everything from the bringer of
beginnings to the mistress of corpses. In the PGM she is clearly seen as a
goddess of the moon. There are other sources of evidence indicating
that she was seen by some as a triple-moon goddess.

The Hekate of The Chaldean Oracles, written after the earlier texts, is a
complex figure who is seen as The World Soul. As such, she acts as a sort
of protective membrane between the human world and the realms. She
is seen as a savior who helps human souls ascend.

This is the Hekate of the ancient world. If you are interested in reading
more about ancient Hekate, there are many ways to going about this.
You can sort through the translations of The Greek Magical Papyri or The
Chaldean Oracles yourself. Sorita D'Este's book Circle for Hekate provides
a great summary of historical Hekate.

Historical Hekate: Early Christian Era -

19th Century
As Christianity spread, the early propagandists preached on the evilness
of Hekate as part of their joint campaign against women and the older
deities. Hekate underwent a striking narrowing of her abilities. While the
ancients revered her as a goddess with many characteristics and abilities,

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the image that emerged afterwards is limited to that of an underworld
goddess. One example of this restricted view of Hekate is found in Pistis
Sophia where she is portrayed as basically the queen of
hell. Shakespeare's portrayal of her in Macbeth epitomized this version
of Hekate:

Robert Thew. Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1.

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While Shakespeare presented a version of Hekate and witches, it is
unlikely that this reflected how witches understood and experienced
Hekate during these times. We will never know what it was like for her
witches through history, but they whisper to us in our dreams.

Go deeper: Connecting With Our Witch Ancestors

20th Century Hekate

In the early 20th century Hekate's limited capacity as an underworld
goddess was further reinforced through the works of Aleister Crowley
and Gerald Gardner. Hekate (usually spelled the Latin way: Hecate)
became widely known as The Goddess of Witchcraft in neo-pagan
circles. It is obvious from the lives and works of these men, and others
like them, that they held deeply troubling views of women. While their
words may be inspiring, they are tainted by their spirits of depravity,
misogyny and outright abuse. Our understanding of Hekate must be
liberated from such entanglements, while acknowledging the beauty of
some of these portrayals.

Maiden-Mother-Crone
Somewhere along the way, Hekate as a crone became a commonly held
belief among neo-pagans. In addition to this interpretation of her as an
individual, she was also placed in the "Maiden Mother Crone" tripartite
goddess structure as the crone or as the entire trio. While the veracity of
these applications of Hekate has been debated, there is ancient evidence
that solidifies her as a maiden. Her role as a mother is reinforced through
ancient epithets, such as Pammetor, and there are a few tales portraying
her as a biological mother. Accompanying this new application of
Hekate's ancient characterization as a triple goddess was the Wiccan
association of her with the moon.

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Reclaiming Hekate
Thus, the 20th century witches understanding of Hekate was limited to
two roles. As part of the Triple Goddess imagery she was often
celebrated as the wise woman. In her dark goddess incarnation, she
could be given homage as Queen of the Witches and summoned for
certain types of witchcraft. Feminist scholars and goddess reclaimers
beganto speak the truth of Hekate through their rituals and writings,
such as in this beautiful passage:

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Go deeper: Hekate: Mother of All

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Contemporary Hekate: The
Dark Mother Rising
Today, many Hekatean witches view Hekate as the Dark Mother, the
Goddess of Witches and Anima Mundi. This understanding of Hekate
was greatly informed by the scholarship about her ancient origins that
occurred in the late 20th century, notably S.I. Johnston's Hekate
Soteira. As the 21st century began, other writers were presenting
alternative ideas about Hekate, too. Accompanying the expansion of
academic knowledge has been the surge of spiritual writings about her.
Thomas Moore wrote of her in Dark Nights of the Soul. This is one
example of the many deeper explorations of Hekate. Alongside these
currents of awakening, many pagan and witchcraft traditions include
Hekate. In popular culture, she has been featured in many books, comics,
movies and songs. The Dark Mother is Rising.

Modern Traditions
Sometimes Hekate is the focus of a certain path, like with the Covenant
of Hekate's approach to her as the soul of the world, but other times she
is part of a framework rather than the focus. Some of these perspectives
are more intellectual and theurgical, while others are more witchcraft
based. What these approaches have in common is that Hekate is a
mighty goddess and that she is a powerful magickal force available to
practitioners. Another shared thread is that all these perspectives use the
historical interpretations of Hekate in developing their understanding.

Go deeper: Not My Hekate: Reflections On Different Views

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The Coven of Hekate: The
Keeping Her Keys Tradition
The Keeping Her Keys Tradition, of which I am the founder, views Hekate
as The Mother, the fiery soul of the world whose magick, medicine and
mystery is in all creation. She is The Dark Mother from whom we are born
and to whom we return for our medicine, represented by her keys, her
plants, her torches and her wheel. We are a Coven of Hekate dedicated to
pursuing the sacred within through The Mother, and for sharing our
medicine with those who seek it. Our work is that of the ancestors to bring
healing and power to those who return to Hekate.

Join at keepingherkeys.mn.co

Why Hekate And Her Witches Are Necessary Now More Than Ever

Summoning Hekate
Should you feel called by Hekate, go wisely, yet boldly forth. She
welcomes the sincere and inflicts wrath upon the insincere. She knows
what lies in our souls, there is no deception possible.

Go deeper: Evoking The Dark Mother: A Ritual For Summoning Hekate

Understanding Hekate
I hope this brief overview of Hekate has made you curious to learn more
about her, both in the intellectual sense and in terms of truly
understanding her. Researching Hekate, whether through direct study of
the modern interpretations of the ancient texts or by reading others'
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takes on these writings is a very worthwhile undertaking. To me, there is
a big difference between knowing about Hekate and knowing her.

Go deeper: Diving Into The Unseen River: Ways To Deepen Your

Connection To Hekate And Strengthen Your Witchcraft

Hekate Abides, We Return

There are many ways to experience Hekate, and there are countless ways
to understand her. We may be drawn to one aspect of hers (or a handful)
or we may feel connected to Hekate in her totality. We may have an
initial experience with Hekate where she presents herself in a complete
vision that is entirely experiential, or we may experience her after we
have already read a lot. The more we experience Hekate, the more we
understand her. This understanding enables us to become better at
witchcraft as we develop the skills necessary to involve her and her
energies in our workings.

She abides. We return to her crossroads as we awaken,

Claiming the keys to our own sacred inner temple.

Hekate's Serpent Medicine And The Awakening Of The Inner Snake

Goddess

Complete Index of Articles About

Hekate

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