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Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. She is the witness to every crime. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Hecate: 15 Ways to Work With the Goddess of Witchcraft Hecate was the daughter of Perses and "gold-wreathed" Astraea (the starry night), and her sway extended over earth, heaven, and hell, for which reason she is represented in works of art as a triple divinity, having three female bodies, all young and beautiful, and united together. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles ( 2nd-3rd century AD ), she was regarded with some rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more . Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. Moon Goddess of Hidden Wisdom, Change and Darkness. Many of the rituals described in ancient texts, for example the elaborate sacrifice of a ewe in Argonautica, are in keeping with what is known about the worship of other deities of the underworld. The evening meal in ancient Greece, especially in Athens known as Deipnon, was in honor of Hecate. Many depictions, such as those of the Moirae, show the three goddesses corresponding to the three stages of a womans life. In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. As she is said to be the guardian of the crossroads, she is most often depicted with three faces and carrying torches or a key. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Who is Hecate? She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. One of her epithets, Apotropaia, references the protection she gave in these spaces. Much later, Shakespeare referenced her in Macbeth, where she is mentioned in the scene of the three witches boiling together their dire brew. Midwives, witches, healers, herbalists, dog lovers and rescuers; she is the matron of women in general and protects those who ride horses, male warriors or cavalry as well. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. She is sometimes depicted as being accompanied by dogs or hounds and ghosts. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Hecate also has several temples where her shrine is worshipped. In his book Description of Greece, Pausanias says that the sculptor Alcamenes was the first to show Hecate in three forms in the 5th century BCE. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, A Recommended Book on Hekate Liminal Rites, Planetary MAGICK -7 Facts you should know, Magickal Protection-The BEST 10 SOLUTIONS. A shrine to this Goddess was built at the entrance of homes and cities as she was believed to keep evil spirits away. The name Hecate comes from the Greek word "Hekatos," which was thought to be a really distant and obscure epithet associated with Apollo, the Greek god of music . This is a reminder of her role as a goddess of the night, a guardian of the gates to Hades, and a goddess of boundaries. The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." Though perhaps originally an indigenous woodland goddess, Diana early became identified with Artemis. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. creative tips and more. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. goddess, with the latter having a 6th-century BCE circular altar for sacrifices to be made in her honour (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). The crossroads are special places, places of great power, but at the same time haunting places. Her main jobs were to control boundaries, witchcraft, and the Underworld. Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Eventually, this came to include the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, making her a goddess of magic. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. The goddess Hecate had unusual rituals performed in her honour, which include the offerings of food given at crossroads, road junctions, and any other sort of boundary or threshold known as the supper of Hecate. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. Not only could she move between the realms, but she had power to control the passage of others. The goddess, on the other hand, usually has human heads. Hecate, however, was not just a goddess shown in three parts. The crossroads were and are also places where several accidents occurred and or ambushes, holdups they can be places of vulnerability where fates seem to be on rare occasions sealed. Controlling who moved through the border between the earth and the underworld gave her a unique power to summon spirits and raise the dead. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. This is especially ironic since, after this, she seems to have become more associated with the underworld, not less. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. 2 Beds. As goddesses that straddled the boundary between this world and the afterlife, they were believed to be the keys to uncovering the secrets of what lay beyond that boundary. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. Still, she was in charge of things that put her in the spotlight. Great Facts about Goddess Hecate - Learning Mole Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. Major temple shrines to Hecate were in the regions of Phrygia and Caria. She is often pictured holding keys because, as the goddess of boundaries, she held the power to open and close the doors to the realm of Hades. People left the food there to honor Hecate. At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. By her very nature Hecate was a goddess that existed on the edges of the Greek pantheon, yet she was also a household goddess who watched over every door in Greece. A goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. While Hecate was described as a single goddess with three parts, the tripartite goddess in other instances was shown as three separate but intrinsically-linked beings. Hekat) is the feminine form of hekatos, an epithet of the god Apollo meaning "the one who works from afar."But the true etymology of the name is uncertain. Classical scholars have differing views about where the worship of Hecate in Ancient Greece came from. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. Victorian Era, Ibn Khaldun or Celts. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. One of Hecates frequent animal companions, and the one that shes most often depicted with, was a black dog. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Female monsters also often came in threes, as was the case with the Gorgons and Graea. The things that make Hecate seem like an older woman are in the Pharsalia. Updates? Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. 139.162.195.99 Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. Hecate: Goddess of the Moon, Light and Magic in Greek Mythology and The goddess Hecate is one of the lesser-known goddesses of the Greek pantheon. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 1175; Scholiast on Theocritus, ii, 36. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss . My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) the Jinn or Genie-good, bad or simply Goetic spirits of another name? She was the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. And during these times Hecate was also very much connected to other portals- such as doors, entrances, thresholds and eventually the crossroads. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. The various statues have also raised questions as to her duties. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Hecate was an only child and was worshiped in households of Athens where families hoped to receive protection, prosperity and daily blessings. MAGE ENERGETICS The most complete course in magick ever released! Hecate Facts and Information on the Goddess Hecate She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. Later periods show statues of Hecate in three-fold having 3 separate bodies and faces. Hecate was represented as single-formed, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches; in later representations she was triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she could look in all directions at once from the crossroads. Hecate - Mythopedia She was made to look like a goddess who could easily move from the Underworld to the real world. The name Hecate means:The Most Lovely One; Worker from Afar; Three -Headed Hound of the Moon; Influence from Afar; The One Before the Gate; Light Bringer. The keys that she is sometimes shown holding are supposed to be the keys of the Underworld. The Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends from their eastern neighbors. Several modern devotees already adapted the tradition of giving food offerings to Hekate- these are sacred meals, that are bought on the dark moon ( This is the last visible crescent of a waningMoon. In addition to magic and witchcraft, Hecate was also considered to be the Goddess of crossroads, gates, and ghosts. As a result, the goddess of magic remained a major deity in regulating evil spirits in the Underworld. Look for her animals: snakes, dragons, cats, and especially dogs. The Greek name of Hecate may derive from an earlier Egyptian frog-headed goddess called Heqet, who ruled over magic and fertility and was a favorite of women. With a torch in her hand, she accompanied Demeter in the search after Persephone; and when the latter was found, Hecate remained with her as her attendant and companion. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Selenite, tiger's eye, obsidian, rhodochrosite, jet, jasper, agate, and amber are the most suited crystals for Hecate. Child of Perses and Asteria, she was the only Titan to retain her control under Zeus' reign. The time of the dark moon is a special time of the month to give offerings to Hecate. This food offering was known as the Supper of Hecate. Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. In other Indo-European cultures, the three-part goddesses included: The archetype of the triple goddess is so common that its considered one of the fundamental aspects of Indo-European religion. She was most famously the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, the Moon, and the night. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. Hecate | Encyclopedia.com In fact, she existed in such a nominal place that its difficult to say whether she existed as a singular goddess, a trio of beings, or as a minor aspect of a more major deity. When her city fell, the queen was taken captive and lept off a cliff to her death. She is often depicted carrying one or several torches to remind of her connection with the night and insculpturewith three faces, representing her role as the guardian of crossroads. Zorya The Slavic goddess of beauty and light took three forms corresponding to morning, evening, and midnight. Hecate appears in many plays and poems as the personification of darkness, the moon, and magic. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. Hecate may be invoked for healing, especially if medical solutions have failed or are not an option. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Seneca often talks about Hecate and her moon-based counterparts and even links Medea to the goddess.