~*~Hecate~*~
Created by Morgaine RavenSong
(www.sacredsource.com)
© All original material in this site is under copyright
protection and is the intellectual property of the author
Hecate, Guardian of the Crossroads
Lend me your dagger to cut away the unnecessary to find my true power
Lend me your rope to hold fast to that which I still need
Lend me your torch to illuminate the shadows
Gift me with the sacred key to unlock the mysteries of life
Show me my choices and give me the insight and strength
to always choose the right path
Hecate, Bringer of Wisdom
Awaken me from my deep slumber
to help me understand the meaning beyond illusion
In understanding the mysteries of life
I shall know the greater mysteries of my self
Help me understand the wisdom of the darkness
and weave me into the web of your knowing
Hecate, Threefold Goddess
Bring unto me your powers of earth, sea and starry night sky
Show me your cycles of birth, life and death
Guide me on my never-ending quest for knowledge
so that I may always know my true self in body, mind and spirit
Bless me with your magick, wisdom, and inspiration
so that I may never falter from my true path
So Mote It Be
Original poem by Morgaine RavenSong
Written on 11-10-06
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~*~Hecate~*~
Hecate was originally a Thracian and pre-Olympian elder goddess. She was the daughter of two Titans, Persus and Asteria, and was later honored by Zeus after he defeated the Titans. It is said that she backed him in his fight against her people, hence Zeus allowing her to stay and retain her titanic powers. She was an almighty threefold Goddess of the earth, sea and night sky, as well as being a Moon and Underworld Goddess and Goddess of Magick. As a triple Goddess, Hecate represents the Maiden, Mother and Crone; birth, life and death; and body, mind, and spirit.
In classic Greek mythology she is associated with Artemis as the Maiden, Selene as the Mother and she takes her place as the Crone. She is also the Crone in another trio of Greco-Roman goddesses, those being Persephone as Maiden and Demeter as the Mother. She is said to be one of Hermes many lovers and dwelt in the Underworld alongside Hades and Persephone and the minor deities Thrantos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep) and Morpheus (Dreams).
In her more commonly known dark aspect she goes by many names. She is Queen of the Witches and Guardian of the Crossroads. She is Dark Mother, Keeper of the Keys, and the Silver-Footed Queen of the Night. She is Hecate Antea, the Sender of Nocturnal Visions and Hecate Trivia, as she was frequently pictured as a triple-faced Goddess.
In some later statues, Hecate is shown with three heads and six arms and is holding three torches, a key, a rope, and a dagger. The torches symbolize the light that illuminates the darkness, as the Greeks considered her the “bringer of wisdom”, the key signifies Hecate’s role as gatekeeper being the one who could open the door to the deeper mysteries, the rope is either a scourge or a symbolic umbilical cord and the dagger slices through illusion to true power.
She is Patroness of dark magick, priestesses/sorceresses, enchantments, charms and spells, wisdom, choices, endings, banishings, victory, purification, prosperity and divination. An instrument called “Hecate’s Circle” was used for divination. It was a golden sphere with a sapphire concealed in its center-her mysterious moon hidden in the bright seed of understanding- and was spun to obtain revelation of the future.
Her annual festival is August 13 and was a day to avert the harvest-destroying storms which the Moon was inclined to send at that time. Statues of Hecate with her three faces were placed at three-way crossroads and this is where travelers were faced with three choices. “Hecate’s Suppers” were left there as offerings in the dark of night on the Eve of the Full Moon. She can also be called on during the waning and Dark Moon for banishings and other dark magicks. She is also invoked on Hallows because she combined fertility with death; by day she guaranteed abundant crops and by night she is the goddess of magick, spirits and graveyards.
Besides graveyards, Hecate was known to
haunt the scenes of crimes as a Goddess of atonement and purification.
She is both positive and negative
as the Dark Mother and will send demons to men’s dreams to drive them
mad if they’re not well integrated enough to deal with her. To those
that are strong enough to welcome her, she will bring creative inspiration.
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~*~Sacred to Hecate~*~
Symbols: Torch, keys, knife/sword, spear, rope/scourge, bowl, pitcher, starry
crown, the moon
Colors: black, midnight blue, saffron, gold, white
Direction: North
Places: crossroads, graveyards, the Underworld
Elements: all
Day: Saturday
Times of Day: dawn, dusk, and midnight
Moon phases: Waning and Dark Moon
Seasons: Autumn and Winter
Feasts/Festivals: May 13, August 13, Hallows, November 16
Aspects of human life: death and rebirth
Animals: dogs, wolves, owls, ravens/crows, snakes
Fragrance: jasmine, night-blooming cereus, basil
Herbs/Flowers/Plants/Trees: garlic, mint, cyclamen, Cypress tree, Willow,
Yew, opium poppy, almond, mugwort, hazel, moonwort
Incense/Oil: Saffron mixed with olive or rose oil
Magickal Weapons: Outer Robe of Concealment, Yoni, Bow and Arrow
Tarot: Threes, High Priestess
Associated Deities: Artemis, Selene, Diana, Phoebe, Enodia, Brimo, Iphigea,
Perses and Asteria, Nyx and Tartarus, Hermes, Demeter, Persephone, Hades,
Cerberus, Gorgons, Erinyes, Circe, Medea
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HECATE RITUAL
Try to time this ritual with the Dark of the Moon for best results. You will need a black or other suitable candle, incense, a chalice, wine or cup of juice, a small disk of salt, pencil and parchment paper. You will want a small table or stand for an altar with a chair or pillows for sitting. Decorations of black cats, owls, wolves, ravens, cauldrons and black stones if you have them would also be nice.
RITUAL
" Dark Mother, Hecate, Guardian of the Akashic Records, Keeper of the Great Cauldron of life, I call upon You to be here with me now. I need your guidance, as I strive for spiritual knowledge and growth. Help me also with (state your magickal purpose). I wish with all my heart to accomplish these desires in a positive way. If these are not to be my good, reveal to me the direction to take and the goals to which I should aspire. I await your guidance and directions."
Now sit quietly for a few moments concentrating upon your wishes. Lay out the Tarot cards, cast the runes, or do another form of divination. When you are finished with the silent meditation, fold the paper, light it from the candle and drop it into the metal bowl to burn. Then send the ashes off to the directions of the air. Then say:
" I give my desire and dreams into your keeping, Great Hecate. By Air, I create the seed. By Fire, I warm it, by water, I nourish it, and by earth, I cause it to grow. From Spirit, I draw the power to make all things possible. Join me in celebration of the power of the Goddess."
Hold up the chalice and say a blessing then drink from it and pour into the libation bowl as an offering:
All Life is your own
All fruits of the Earth
All fruits of your womb, Great Mother
Your union, your dance
Goddess Hecate
I thank you for your blessings and abundance
Join with me, feast with me, enjoy with me.
Blessed Be.
" Thank you Dark Mother, Hecate."
Dismiss the quarters, extinguish the candle, and dispose of the ashes.
(From www.hecatescauldron.org)
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Hecate’s recipe for Clairvoyance Brew
Add mugwort, bay leaves, valerian and cinquefoil to a cauldron of boiling water. In a sacred place free from intrusion, inhale the vapors deeply, alternating with breaths of fresh air, for several minutes. Sit quietly and be aware of any visions you receive, or use a divination method such as tarot cards, runes, or a crystal ball, if desired. Record the messages you receive.
(from The Goddess Workbook: A Guide to the Feminine Spiritual Experience by Jill Fairchild and Regina Schaare)
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Artwork used with permission from Katlyn Breene ( http://www.heartmagic.com/katart.html)
Hail, great Hecate! Goddess of the Moon,
Goddess of witches in the dancing ring,
To thee all roads must lead us, late or soon-
To end, and start, of all our wanderings,
Thou offerest the never-ending choice-
Left, right or onward, every path is thine
O great Hecate, let us hear thy voice!
Lights of darkness, give us a sign!
~by Janet & Stewart Farrar~
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REFERENCES: Websites: www.hecatescauldron.org with permission from Lady Hecate Books: The
Witches’ Goddess by Janet & Stewart Farrar Maiden,
Mother, Crone by DJ Conway The
Ancient and Shining Ones by DJ Conway The
Dark Archetype by Denise Dumars & Lori Nyx Mysteries
of the Dark Moon by Demetra George |
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