Hecate
Created by Martha Karnes
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Hecate (pronounced e-CO-tay) is the Greek and Roman Goddess of the Underworld. She is the Three in One and is sometimes portrayed with three faces. The three faces represent her Maiden, Mother, and Crone aspects. She is most widely known as the Crone because Christianity painted her as an ugly old Hag and the bringer of death. Since Christians feared death above all other things this made Hecate evil.
She is the Goddess of the Crossroads and food (known as Hecate's supper) is left for her where three roads meet. Her companion is a three headed dog. With Her three faces or Her three headed dog, She can see down all three roads at once. Her followers don't have that luxury but they can rest assured that for any situation there are at LEAST three choices. Personally, I never make an important move or decision without considering at least three choices.
Hecate is a pre-Olympian goddess which means She existed before Zeus. However, in his great pompous, egotistical manner, he granted Hecate the one gift he alone had. He gave her the ability to with hold from humanity anything she wanted. Since She preceded Zeus, She already had the powers of the heavens, the earth and the underworld and she already had this ability.
This Goddess is Queen of All Witches. She carries a torch symbolizing the light of Wisdom penetrating the darkness of ignorance. Her colors are black (for the underworld) and silver (the Moon). Her day of the week is Saturday and Her time of the month is the dark Moon. Her celebrations are August 13 for Her protection over the crops from storms, November 16 is known as the Night of Hecate where the suppers are offered at the crossroads. Being the Goddess of the Underworld she is also closely associated with Samhain and the spirits of the ancestors.
Hecate is the teacher of Wisdom. One of her symbols is the key which stands for unlocking the mysteries. She also carries a knife. Her lessons are swift and can be harsh if you don't catch on quickly. It isn't because she is impatient, rather it is because we don't want to acknowledge what she is showing to us. This is the Goddess who taught and protected Persephone during her stay in the Underworld. Therefore, Hecate is most closely associated with the season of winter because Demeter, in her sorrow over her missing daughter, allowed the earth to go dormant. Nothing grew upon the earth and the world was cold while Persephone was in the Underworld.
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Chant for Scrying Crone Hecate of Wisdom and Dark Skies Let the shapes materialize. Show me clearly what is to come, As I will, so be it done! |
Ritual for Hecate
Can be done at Samhain, any dark Moon, on Hecate's days to honor Her, or anytime you need the protection or wisdom of Hecate.
Cast the Circle in the usual manner and then invoke the Goddess, Hecate, pounding the earth or floor. Whisper at first, then grow louder and louder........
Hecate, Hecate, Hecate, Hecate!
Goddess of the marsh and heathland
Goddess of the sacred crossroads.
Crone Goddess of Wisdom
Bringer of death, scavenger of souls
Queen of the Night, Lady of the Underworld,
I call upon you........
(Now howling, beating the ground, banging drums and wailing, bring up the Goddess from the land of the Dead.
Sweet mystery, dark knowledge
Hidden wisdom
Bringer of chaos and madness
We seek to enter your world----to know you.
We bring libations, we bring offerings
Show us your darkened face,
Your blood wise mystery
Lead us into the shadows
Into the darkest night
Now sit in silence and see yourself sitting in a sacred circle out in the woods. There is a briskness in the air. In the middle of your circle is a fire burning and you can smell the burning of the wood and the heat from the fire. A cauldron sits hanging over the fire with a bubbling brew in it. The sweet scent of sage fills your nostrils. Everything is still....nothing moves. All you hear are the creatures of the night.
Suddenly, the energy shifts, and you feel as if someone is there. The air begins to stir, and you feel a slight breeze across your face. The dried leaves on the trees begin to rustle and then the wooded forest seems to open on its own accord.
Out walks three hounds. They seem wild, but something tells you not to be afraid on them. The hounds walk into your circle, and although they sit, they are forever watchful. Each one is looking in a different direction. The breeze really picks up now, and as you watch, out from the forest comes friends and family you have known from other lifetimes, and in this lifetime, but have passed over, and they come into your circle. Sit and wait to see if any of them come to talk with you, giving you a chance to clear things up, or to say the words that remained unspoken when they passed over. If nothing is said, do not worry. They are there to let you know that you are never really alone.
As you feel comforted at that, you notice movement from the corner of your eye that someone is coming out from within the forest. The trees seem to part on their own. You watch as as an old woman walks out from the forest with an owl perched on her arm. You are drawn to her eyes, which seem to be deep dark pools of wisdom. She walks with a cane made from a Yew tree with a crystal sitting on top of it, and feathers are hanging down the side. You know from the power that resonates from this woman that She is Hecate.
She lifts her arms, and the Owl leaves her to fly over to you. Listen to the words of wisdom of what the owl has to share with you.
After a few minutes have passed, Hecate approaches, and as She does so, her face keeps changing from maiden, to the mother, and to the crone, because there are many faces of Hecate, as She is the three and the one. As She stands before you, her face stops changing and rests the way you see Her. You look deep into her eyes and you see the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries. As you look deep within, you realize that it is the reflection of your own eyes that you see with the key and that you yourself hold the key to unlock those mysteries. You realize that it is you who has to look within your own soul for the answers.
She then takes your hand and leads you over to the big cauldron and motions for you to look into the deep pool of darkness to see what you need to see or need to know. After you have done this, She turns you around to walk back to where you were sitting, but as you do so, you notice that the forest has opened up once again and that everyone is leaving. The hounds are sitting at the edge of the woods waiting for their Mistress. Hecate smiles at you, and assures you silently that everything will be all right. You then realize that She has always been with you. She turns to leave and as She does so, She lifts up her arm and the Owl flies down to once again perch on Her arm. After She has gone, you sit and think of all that you have learned this very magickal night. You hear the howling of the hounds, and this awakens you from your meditation.
Do the libation to Hecate and and magick which you wish to perform on this most magickal night of the year. Then close the circle in the usual manner.
