Yesterday i have done a long walk through a local forest. I harvested resins from pine, spruce and fir trees. I will use these resins for incense in my rites, witchcraft and as offering for Hekate. The resin of these trees have a very nice smell and are a good alternative to olibanum resin (the olibanum trees are on the way to become extinct). I harvested a whole bowl of resin and consecrated it on my Hekate shrine in the night.
On Thursday I have cleansed and blessed my new three-formed Hekate statue. And posted pictures of the rite on some Hekate related discussion groups on Facebook. I was asked about the symbolism of the tools on the altar.
In general:
I have several shrines in the temple room. One main shrine for Hekate with an ensouled statue. A witchcraft connected shrine (that is more focused on the symbolism of Traditional Witchcraft).
In the middle of the temple room is the working altar- the focus of magical rites, the working space and the centre of group rituals in the temple room. The set up of this altar changes with my intentions, goals or for the rites that are performed.
Earth, sea and sky:
Hekate has dominion over the three realms- earth, sea and sky. I personal don’t see this symbolism so much connected to the elements- but more as the three physical realms. Earth is here the land, the ground under your feet. Sea is the realm of the oceans- but for me all the water in the clouds and the falling rain, too. All waters on earth are connected somehow with each other. The sea is mediating between earth and sky. The water from the sea goes up into the sky as fog- travels through the sky as clouds, falls again down to the earth. Mixes with the water of the rivers and flows back one day into the sea.
Sky is for me the physical sky- not so much a spiritual heaven (and sure Hekate is connected to the spiritual heaven and underworld, too), but in the symbolism of the three realms it is more about the physical earth, sky and sea. These realms are embodied through the three bowls on the altar. One with incense, one with herbs and salt, one with water. They are arranged in a triangle around the Hekate-Pillar.
I used the symbolism of the three realms as main focus of the altar set up.
Statue and pillar:
In the middle of the altar is a column- for me this is the symbol of the world tree and the Axis Mundi. It is the sacred pillar around which the three depictions of Hekate were erected as Hekateion. Around the pillar three Gorgons are arranged like the figures of Hekate in the Hekateia of the past. Hekate was described with snake hair too in ancient sources. So for me the Gorgons are fitting as symbols of Hekate. They are embodiment of Hekates apotropaic (averting of evil) aspects- the three-formed snake haired Hekate protects the thresholds between the worlds, she protects the axis mundi of the temple room (from my personal symbolism). On top of the pillar is the statue of the three-formed Hekate as central focus of the altar (and the temple room in general). Around the pillar are three blessed candles. They symbolise the divine fire of the Goddess, her sacred torches- the light of the divine.
Elements:
The corners of the altar are connected to the four elements. Air in the east (raven feathers), fire in the south (the candle holder), water in the oinochoe in the west, snake skin and pomegranates for earth in the north. For me the elements are etheric energies that create the physical reality. The material manifestations of the elements- are symbols for the elements- not the element itself (so in my personal understanding the element earth is not the physical earth- but the physical earth is created from the element earth- and the energy of the element earth flows through the material physical earth. The burning candle is not the element fire- but the element fire flows through the material flame. But that is my personal understanding of the elements.
Tools:
Wand- I use the wand to bless, to direct energy and to call spirits and Gods/esses.
Dagger- not a Athame. I use it as ceremonial knife, to cut things, harvest herbs, to banish negative energies or spirits. It symbolises Hekates dagger for me. In antiquity daggers were used to protect against spirits or to control them.
Oinochoe and libation bowl: I use the oinochoe to give liquid offerings into the libation bowl. Both are very old symbols of Hekate. And are next to the torch the most common symbols of her in ancient statues and depictions.
The whip-I use it for protective workings, to banish negative spirits or energies, when force and control are needed. It is Hekates whip. Whips were use in antiquity to control spirits.
Skull- the human skull (not a real one) is a symbol for the ancestors and the connection to the realms of Hades. In necromantic workings I use it as focus point for the spirits.
Iron key- before the skull is large iron key. It is a symbol of the key to Hades.
Animal skulls- the animal skulls are spirit vessels, they create a focus point for spirits in general. The human skull is more used for the spirits of the dead as focus.
Triangle of manifestation:
I used the artwork from this blog: magickfromscratch.com
It is under the surface of the shrine- direct under the Hekate-Pillar.
During the dark months I practised a lot spirit work (necromancy). So the altar had a strong focus on that theme. Now where the days get lighter again- the symbolism of the altar will get a different focus again, too.
In this article I will focus on Hekates roles as Goddess of liminal places (and times), spirits and magic. These roles are very interwoven which each other.
Liminal places and times:
In antiquity Hekate was strongly connected to liminal times and places. She was worshipped on crossroads, was a guardian of the gates to the homes, to the entrances of some palaces and of the doors of some temples, she was able to open the doors to the underworld her Deipna, the meals offered to her and the spirits, were celebrated in the dark time of the moon (a liminal time), she was connected to birth and death (liminal times too), her witches practised their arts on cemeteries and were able to open the portals to the underworld in ancient literature.
Liminal times and places are special- they are a mediating point between the worlds, between the world of spirits and humans- or between the divine and the profane. These times and places are intersection points were it is easier to reach to the other sides. Liminal places and times can be thresholds between the worlds.
In literature Hekate was first connected to liminal points in the pseudo-homeric Hymn to Demeter. She appears as a young, beautiful and shining Goddess.
She dwelled in a cave (threshold between the underworld and the earth) and heard the cries of Kore (while she was abducted by Hades into his realm). In the dawn she went with burning torches to Demeter (the mother of Kore who searched desperate for her missing daughter). The dawn is a liminal time- between day and night (and the dusk is a liminal time too).
After Kore came back from the underworld Hekate got her companion and guide (on her yearly travels back into the underworld in harvest- and again up to the earth in spring). There are vase paintings who show Hekate with torches guiding Persephone/Kore through the threshold of the underworld back to earth.
During the classical and hellenic time period Hekates role as a Goddess of thresholds got more and more obvious- and from this time period the first sources that link her to spirits and magic came then too.
Hekate is then connected to doors, thresholds and portals. Crossroads (you are on all ways and on none at the same time), graveyards and cemeteries (world of the living meets the world of the dead), to the entry space of some temples, too (intersection to the divine).
The people believed that spirits lingered on these liminal places. It was easier there to come into contact with them or for them to come into contact with us. Magic was practised on liminal places because of this reason- and even today in many folk magic traditions thresholds and crossroads are important places (crossroads as places to work magic and thresholds to bring powders and spells into contact with- to leave the spells on the doorstep of the person that should be influenced).
The dark time of the moon was seen as a transitional time between the world of spirits and humans. The old month ended- but the new one has not begun yet (this happened with the first crescent after the dark moon). It was a time of liminality.
The people brought offerings to the spirits and to Hekate on the crossroads or in front of the doors and portals of the homes (which are small crossroads too). And the dark moon was used for necromancy, magic and witchcraft because of this liminal character (and in literature the witches were able to draw down the moon from the sky- to make the night moonless, so to create this liminal time outside of its natural timing).
From my personal experience all these places get more powerful if you visit them on liminal times. Like on the dusk or dawn or “real midnight” (the hour in the middle between dusk and dawn).
Spirits:
Hekate was first connected to the liminal places and times from the source material. And was then seen as a Goddess of spirits soon, too.
She was/is able to protect the liminal points. She was able to protect against harmful spirits but at the same time was also able to send them to mortals. She was quite ambivalent in this role (but that is right for other Gods too, like Apollon as God of healing or sender of illness).
The restless spirits followed her in the time of the dark moon.
She was able to open the portals to Hades and to lead spirits up to the world of mortals (for example when witches practised necromancy).
I see her connected to the good spirits of the home, too.
If you are on her good side she can send you good spirits to bless you and your home or keep negative spirits away from your home.
Magic:
Hekates role as Goddess of magic evolved from the source material at the same time as her role as mistress of spirits. And this is quite logical. Ancient magic was more necromantic than magic practices of modern magical traditions.
Necromancy is the art to get into contact with the spirits (of the dead) to practice divination or to bring a influence to situations or persons.
The people who practised magic did this with the help of the spirits.
Good examples are the curse tablets (which were not just used for curses but for success, love, victory, healing and other goals too). Tablets that were in most cases made from lead and inscribed with spells. And than brought to liminal places to bring them into contact with the spirits- that these fulfil the will of the practitioner. This was the popular folk magic of the time.
Hekate Chtonia and Hermes Chtonios were quite often named on these tablets, but other chtonic Gods, too.
The PGM are full of spells that focus on the spirits or should bring helpful spirits to the practitioner. Very important were the restless spirits- the spirits who were “trapped” on earth- because they were the easiest to reach as helpers. But Hekate was not just connected to the spirits of the dead- but to other kinds of spirits too. Like nymphs, daimons (mediators between gods and humans) and in late antiquity to angels too. Angels and daimons were quite important in the magic (and theurgy) of late antiquity, still lingered around in the magical practices of renaissance and are quite important today too in some traditions of magic(k).
Hekates role as Goddess of magic is strongly nourished through her connection to the spirits and her liminal character.
In the next articles I will focus on her role as Goddess of the underworld and witchcraft.
Where Three Roads Meet... 