Creating a Hekateion Part 5

Three years ago I started to create a modern Hekateion, you can see the different stages of this project in these articles: creating a Hekateion part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

Some weeks after I started this project my life began to change a lot and this change continued until this year (divorce can turn the life really upside down) and the process to finish my Hekateion came to rest through all the change in my life. But the statues were used in my private rituals with and for Hekate and in the group rituals of the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia. After the rite of her sacred fires in Mai 2017 a rush of creativity began to flow through me again and I began to continue to work on the Hekateion and two weeks ago I finished the project.

The statues are now housed in the temple room in my new home and they are completely coloured (the statues of Deities were usually painted and not white as many imagine it today), they are filled with special herbs, stones, snake skin, dog hair, gemstones, sacred objects and oil lamps burn on the round altar when the Hekateion is in use. The statues are coloured in Hekates sacred colours (black, red and white), serpents coil around the shoulders of her, I changed the bowl into a torch (and it is possible to remove the clay flames and burn tea lights or ethanol fires in the bowl that is now the top of the torch), sacred tools of Hekate are on the altar (like the whip, knives, pomegranates, Oinochoe and magical tools as well that i use in my hekatean witchcraft and magic, a statue of Anubis in dog/jackal form is on the altar (for her connection to dogs and the underworld), bowls with incense, water and seeds are around the statues to symbolise her influence over earth, sea and sky, three skulls are on the altar as well, these are filled with dirt from graves and of course offerings are arranged on the altar as well. The pole is coloured in dark violet and is sprinkled with gold colour, to symbolise the night sky and the Axis Mundi and on top of the pole is the statue that I used as sanctuary image, when I opened the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia several years ago.

The Hekateion is in the centre of my temple room, where i store my herbs, incense, tinctures, oils and the tools for herbal magic and in this room i work most of my magic (when i work indoors) and my devotional rites for Hekate and in the meetings of the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia the Hekateion is the focal point of the rituals and devotees can spend time near the Hekateion on their own as well to meditate or dwell in her presence.

 

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Tales from the Sanctuary-Rite Of Her Sacred Fires

On the full moon in May our beloved Rite Of Her Sacred Fires was celebrated by people all around the world. I had organised an open group ritual in the Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia. It was the first ritual in my new home. In my old home I had the luxury to have a separate room in the house, for the sanctuary. Now in a two room flat- things are quite different. The sanctuary space is now in a room that I use for rituals, magic and as sleeping room as well. So it was a challenge to organise the rite into this room (especially with the fact that we celebrated the rite with 10 people). But everything worked fine.

Some hours before the official meeting begun, I began to prepare the temple room. The room was cleansed with sacred herbs and resins and I blessed the sacred space with the old powers of sea, sky and land. I prepared the Hekateion (the threefold depiction of Hekate around a pillar) and lighted the candle flames around the Hekateion and in the temple room. The statues were blessed with sacred water and I invoked the presence of Hekate into the statues and asked her to ensoul them. Then I gave her sacred water, incense and rose petals as offerings to welcome her. I felt her presence strongly and her divine fires filled the sacred space fuelling the room with her protection, blessings and love, the Goddess got alive in her prepared sanctuary- so her devotees could now arrive.

Devotee after devotee arrived in my home and we sat together on the terrace and talked with each other until the ritual began in the early evening hours. Before the ritual begun, each person had the opportunity to visit the sanctuary on their own. I have put a bowl with spring water and herbs in front of the sanctuary- and each person hat to cleanse themselves before entering the sacred space each one brought an offering for Hekate and put it on the altar, and everyone burned a jasmine incense stick as offering and poured rose petals and sacred water over the altar. And each person was able to spend private time in the sanctuary, for prayers, meditation or to just enjoy the atmosphere in the sacred space. After some time lots of incense sticks burned in a bowl filled with sand and the altar was filled with offerings that each person brought with them garlic, onions, apples, pomegranates and one person brought a beeswax candle that was formed like an owl as offering.

In the early evening the Rite Of Her Sacred Fires was celebrated and during the ritual each person lighted a sacred flame. The ritual was quite moving for me and filled with power and I think each person was able to get in touch with Hekate and her blessings and to get some strength and guidance through her

During this ritual it was the first time, that we used an invocation to give a message from Hekate through an oracular priestess. During the last sanctuary rituals a close friend of me (named Nin) was “used” by Hekate to give messages without any preparations- it just happened spontaneous during the rituals and Hekate spoke through her. In this ritual we decided to prepare an opportunity that Hekate gets her voice in a prepared manner. And it worked very fine. Nin spoke in trance the following message (we had not recorded her words- but the message was reconstructed through passages that different people still knew after the ritual and I have translated it into English):

“I am the creator of life

From the darkness I gave birth to the light

And my light was the first star and he was admired by all who gazed upon him,

Don’t be afraid of the darkness, because the light is created from the darkness.

Without darkness there is no light. Life and death are interwoven, cycles that are repeated again and again,

Follow me into the night and don´t be afraid, because in the night you are protected by my power.

My flames are burning within your hearts, because you are my children, you carry my light into the world; all who have my flames burning within themselves are my children.

You are born from the night into the light and you move back into the night again.”

 

The Rite of Her Sacred Fires connects people through the whole world with each other. During the last seven years this ritual evolved into a modern festival for Hekate and her sacred fires illuminate the darkness. I personal think every time when a flame is lighted in the darkness we honour Hekate. May you all carry her flames within your hearts and light flames for her in the darkness and I am convinced that her power will give you strength and guidance and her blessings and protection. May her sacred fires illuminate the darkness- and may her torchbearers and key bearers always find one another.

 

 

 

Sanctuary Rite: devotianal month for purification

Sanctuary of Hekate Pasikrateia

Devotional month of purification

 

In many modern magical traditions February is a time for purification. I have designed this rite as devotional ritual that can be performed on a regular basis during February. For example on a daily basis, several times a week or once a week.

In Antiquity Hekate was strongly connected with purification of persons or the household- and in this ritual we will address Hekate in her roles as a Goddess of purification- but also in her aspects as the Goddess who has powers over the spheres of earth, sea and sky and who is the ensouler of the cosmos and the shining great saviour.

You will need:

A devotional shrine to Hekate with a picture, image or statue of the Goddess.

Two candles to illuminate the shrine

One white, red or yellow pillar candle

An apple or pomegranate (as offering)

Three bowls

Garlic, Onion or an egg

Water (if possible source water)

Lavender, basil, rosemary or hyssop

Incense (for this rite with cleansing properties, for example pine resin, sage, lavender, olibanum,sandalwood- you can use smudge sticks for example).

 

Preparation:

Prepare the devotional shrine for Hekate; the statue/image/picture of the Goddess should be in the background centre of the shrine. Put a candle to the left and right side of the statue/image of the Goddess; put the apple/pomegranate in front of the image of Hekate. Put the white/yellow/ red candle in front of the apple/pomegranate.  And arrange the three bowls in a triangle around the candle. Fill one bowl with the spring water and put a little bit of the herb (lavender/hyssop/rosemary/basil) into the water, fill the other bowl with the garlic (or onion/egg) and use the third bowl for the incense (fill it with sand if you use charcoal incense or put the smudge stick into the bowl)

 

The Rite:

Part 1: Lighting the flames.

Light the two candles that are on the left and right side of the statue/image of Hekate on your shrine. Speak:

“I light these divine flames in the name of the great Goddess Hekate, may her divine fire be present on this shrine, and may her light bring protection and blessings.”

 

Focus for a moment on the flames  see and feel the light that the flames create. Watch the fire. See and feel the atmosphere that the fire creates on your shrine.

Close your eyes take three deep breaths and relax.

Calm down Imagine the stars burning bright above you in the sky (even if it is day- the stars are there).Imagine that their silver light flows down into your body and fills you out. You begin to shine in silver light. Imagine the depths of the earth below you. Imagine a golden shining serpent that crawls up to you. This serpent is pure life source- the serpent is climbing in coils around your body and the life force of the earth fills you out. You begin to glow in a golden light.

Imagine and feel the ouranic fire of the stars and the chthonic serpent power filling you out. Imagine that in your breast a spark begins to shine, the light of this spark gets brighter and brighter until a radiant sun burns within your breast.

Open your eyes and see the shrine before you.

Hold your hands over the shrine and imagine that the ouranic and chthonic powers flow through your hands into the shrine. Imagine that they begin to shine. Speak again and again the Ephesian letters: Askion, Kataskion, Lix, Tetrax, Damnameneus, Aisia.And imagine that a sphere of light surrounds you and your shrine. The shrine is the centre of this sacred sphere. The divine fire of your shrine flames is filling this sphere around you.

If you feel it is enough bring your hand back to your breast. And stop to speak the Ephesian letters.

 

 

Part 2: Inviting the Goddess:

Burn some incense and say: “I burn this incense for the great Hekate, may this smell welcome her on this shrine”.

Close your eyes… Relax and imagine a beautiful young maiden. She wears a pure white dress with golden ornaments; on her feet she has golden sandals. Her hair is brown but shines with a light of gold and an aura of light is around the Goddess.  On her head she has a shining golden diadem. And a saffron coloured veil is around her shoulders.  In her hands she holds long burning torches. Around her neck is a necklace with a gold key.

Imagine that she stands behind your shrine. So that the candles on the shrine burn in front of her.

Raise your hands up to the sky. Begin to whisper again and again- Io Hekate, Io Pasikrateia… whisper this again and again with closed eyes. Imagine the Goddess standing on your shrine while you whisper this again and again. Let your words get louder and louder (or as loud as you are able to speak them in your home) and when you feel it is enough, open your eyes and speak:

 

“Hekate Pasikrateia- great and powerful Goddess,

heavenly, earthly, underworldly,

Key holding queen of the cosmos,

ensouler of life,

bearer of divine fire,

you who have power over earth, seas and sky,

almighty queen

Be here on this shrine,

and bring your protection, blessings and love!”

 

Let your hands sink down pointing towards your shrine; touch your shrine with your hands.Open yourself to her presence. Focus on your inner view of Hekate and watch the shrine with your physical eyes (you can speak again and again Io Hekate, Io Pasikrateia- until you feel her presence on her shrine- but that is optional)

 

Part 3: Offering to the Goddess.

 

Burn again some incense and take the incense into your hands and let it circle three times over the shrine and let the smoke touch the image of the Goddess. Speak: “I offer you this incense Io Hekate, Io Pasikrateia.”

Put the incense back to the shrine.

 

Take the apple/pomegranate into your hands, imagine that the apple begin to glow in your hands, shining like gold. And speak:

 

„ Hekate shining maiden, bringer of light, torch bearing queen

accept these offerings. Be gracious to my rite. “

 

Put the apple/pomegranate back to the shrine.

 

Part 4 purification spell:

Pray to Hekate and ask her to help you to clean yourself from all negativity and harmfull influences.

Take the garlic/onion/egg out of the first bowl and hold it in your hands. Imagine that all negative energies flow like a dark energy out of your body, aura and soul into the garlic/onion/egg and that it draws all negative influences out of you. You can focus on specific topics that you want to banish- for example fear, sadness, illness or you can just focus on everything that is negative no matter if you brought it over you yourself- or others (no matter if with intention or not). Let all negativity flow into the garlic/onion/egg and speak again and again: “IO Hekate Io Chtonia”. When you feel it is enough say in your own words that you free yourself from all negative influences in the name of Hekate Chtonia.

Take the water into your hands. Ask Hekate Einalia in your own words to bless the water. To fill it with her love and light. Imagine that Hekate holds her burning torches into the water and the water begins to glow into a wine-red light. Sprinkle the water again and again over yourself and speak again and again: Io Hekate Io Einalia. While you do this imagine that the water cleanses you and the love of the Goddess fills you. When you feel it is enough ask Hekate Einalia to clean you and to bless you and put some water unto your brow and bless yourself in the name of Hekate Einalia.

Now take the incense out of the third bowl and pray to Hekate Ourania to bless and clean you. Smudge yourself with the incense; imagine that you begin to glow and to shine and that all remaining negativity leaves you. Speak again and again:” Io Hekate Io Ourania”. When you feel it is enough smudge yourself a last time with the incense and bless yourself in the name of Hekate Ourania.

Now take the red/yellow/white candle and light it on the flames of the other candles. Hold it in front of you- so that the reflection of it light can reach you. Now ask Hekate Soteira to clean you with her light. Imagine that the Goddess stands with her torches in front of you and she puts her burning torches into your direction, the fire of her torches begin to clean you, to bless you, to heal you and transform you. Imagine that her fires are burning within you and you are shining like a bright star in the darkness- blessed by her burning torches. While you imagine that speak again and again: “IO Hekate, Io Megiste, Epiphanestate, Soteira. Let her divine fire transform you. When you feel it is enough open your eyes and look into the fire. Pray to Hekate Soteira and ask her to bless her with her divine fire of love, truth and belief. Imagine again that her fire burns bright within you. Then put the burning candle back to its place. The divine fire of Hekate burns now surrounded by the symbols of earth, sea and sky on your shrine.

 

 

Part 6: Thanking and ending the rite.

 

Now you can meditate, enjoy the presence of Hekate, do divination, play instruments, dance or do other devotional acts to Hekate. Or thank her and close the rite.

 

Thank her with your own words. Ask her to guide you with her light. To protect you and your home and to bring her blessings into your life.

 

Imagine that she disappears from the shrine- but a spark of her presence, power and energy stays connected to the statue/image and in the flames on your shrine.

 

Imagine that the sacred sphere around you begins to fade away; it flows into the flames on your shrine and into your heart.

 

Touch the ground with your hands and imagine that all energy that is too much flows down into the earth

 

Notes:

The Epithets that I use in this rite:

The Epithet Pasikrateia means the all-powerful one or the almighty one. The epithet comes from the Greek Magical Papyri. Chtonia, Einalia and Ourania are connected to Hekate´s power over the earth, sea and sky. The Epithets are used in the Theogony of Hesiod and in the Orphic Hymn to Hekate. Megiste means the greatest. Epiphanestate means the most manifest one or the most shining/bright one. Soteira means saviour. These were the main Epithets that were used in the temple of Lagina for Hekate. In this temple Hekate was worshiped as a local form of the Anatolian Great Mother- similar like Kybele or Atremis of Ephesos. Together these Epithets mean the greatest most shining saviour.

 

Repeating:

You can do this ritual on a daily basis during February or as often as it is possible for you. But the ritual is designed for a regular basis and will build up power and energy with each repeating of the rite.

You have to give Hekate the apple/pomegranate just when you do the rite the first time and can let it stay on the shrine. When it begins to get bad you have to bring it to a crossroad and use a new apple/pomegranate that you have to offer her now again. So you just have to do the offering the first time when you do the ritual or if you have to exchange the offering after some time. Several Hekateia (statues of the three-formed Hekate) had apples or pomegranate in her hands.

The herbs:

Rosemary, lavender, hyssop and basil have a long history as healing herbs. And are still used in folk magic a lot as cleansing herbs.

Garlic, onions and eggs:

These have a long history in purification rites and healing folk magic. You can use for each rite one bulb of garlic or one egg or one onion. Or you can use the same onion/garlic/egg several times until you feel that it is full. Bring the egg/garlic/onion to a crossroad and leave it there. When you leave the crossroad don´t turn back. You can also leave the remainings of the incense on the crossroad. And the water that was used during the rites.

Love, truth and belief:

These were the three virtues of Hekate in the Chaldean Oracles.

 

Other inspirations:

It would be wise to clean your home during this month of purification- you can use the incense that you have used during the rite. And you can sprinkle the blessed water in all rooms of your home. You can also use eggs/garlic/onions as magnets for negative energies in your home.

Do devotional walks and feel the elements and get in touch with them. For example when you bring the remainings of the ritual to the crossroad. Pray on the crossroad to Hekate Chtonia- geht in touch with the earth and give all negativity to the earth in her name.

Do nightly walks and watch the stars. Imagine that the purificating fire of the stars flows into you and cleans you from all negativity. Pray to Hekate Ourania to clean you with her star-fire.

Visit the sea and clean yourself with the sea water or visit sources and clean yourself with the fresh water that flows from the womb of the underworld. Pray to Hekate Einalia.

 

 

 

Harvesting poplar buds

While I walked to my crossroad to lay my offerings there down, I noticed that the poplar trees have already their buds. In antiquity poplar was a tree that was connected to the underworld. And the buds have a long history in flying ointments and salves- also as incense for spirit contacts. So I collected the well smelling buds after I left the crossroad on my way back home.

In my mortar and pestle there was still a lot of remaining herbs and essential oil from my incense crafting yesterday. So I filled the mortar with oil, some poplar buds, cypress needles and juniper berries to create a oil blend for Hekate in her aspects as mistress of spirits.

Deipnon,ceremonial tools and incense

 

In the nights of the dark moon I focus on Hekate aspects as chthonic Goddess. The queen of the night, who walks with the shades of the dead through the crossroads, the mistress of graveyards, queen of witches, protectress against evil and Goddess of crossroads.

 

She is dark but protecting, in her protecting aspects she can be fearsome- like a guardian dog, friendly towards the households but aggressive against enemies. In the nights of the dark moon the spirits wander, the veils between the worlds are thinner. Hekate is protecting the homes of her followers against negative spirits and harmful influences. But at the same time she is the mistress of spirits. She is queen of the witches and the protectress against malefic witchcraft as well.

 

The nights of the dark moon are usually busy times for me, in my devotion to Hekate and for my witchcraft and magical practices as well. Yesterday I have consecrated my ritual tools again. They were already consecrated years and months ago- each tool when I got it and brought it to my collection. My ritual tools for the ceremonial magic are quite different than most of the ritual tools of witches that I know. I use a sharp kitchen knife to cut herbs, to ward off negative spirits, to work for protection, I use a whip for apotropaic practices and if it is needed for banishing, I use a wand made from yew wood- to call the Goddess or other Gods/Goddesses, to create circles, to bless for invocations and evocations (I think that’s the tool that I have in common with most witches). I use a cord for trance work. And bowls and the oinochoe for sacred water and offerings. These are my basic ritual tools in my ceremonial worship of Hekate- as well as the bowls for incense (sky), blossoms (earth) and water (sea). As well as my drum and the divination tools.

 

And today I gave Hekate her Deipnon offerings, in antiquity this meal was used to calm the restless dead. In my personal practice I give this meal to Hekate and all the spirits that are benign- in my home and around me. And afterwards I bring it to a crossroad that also the restless dead have their share of it.

And I created incense for the cleansing of the home during the dark moon. I used cypress needles, cumin, poplar buds, bay leaves, pine resin, rosemary, juniper berries and essential oils of bergamot, cedar and Indian lemon balm. I charged the mixture after my Deipnon rite and will use it in my household cleansing practices that I do on the dark moon each month.

Hekate in the Greek Magical Papyri

Goddess of the Triple Ways, who hold
Untiring Flaming Fire in Triple Baskets,
And You who oft frequent the Triple Way
And rule the Triple Decades, unto me
Who’m calling You be gracious and with Kindness
Give Heed, You who protect the Spacious World
At night, before whom Daimons quake in Fear
And Gods Immortal tremble, Goddess who
Exalt Men, You of Many Names, who bear
Fair Offspring, Bull-eyed, Horned, Mother of Gods
And Men, and Nature, Mother of All Things,
For You frequent Olympos, and the broad
And boundless Chasm You traverse. Beginning
And End are You, and You Alone rule All.
For All Things are from You, and in You do
All Things, Eternal One, come to their End.

In my personal views I see and experience Hekate as a great Goddess,  who has many forms and different aspects.  She is heavenly, earthly and oceanic,  ouranic and chtonic, bright and dark,  virgin and mother, gentle and fearful, beautiful and powerful.  I experience her quite similar as she is described in the PGM.

I had in mind to write an article about Hekate in the PGM for my Understanding Hekate articles- but i found great articles on a blog who already discuss this topic. So i will share here the links to the articles.

Hekate in the PGM

Invocation of Hekate

Overview of other PGM related articles on this blog

Creating a Hekateion 2

I have blessed and cleansed the first statue with the power of the three realms, incense (sky), sacred water (sea) and a mixture of herbs (earth). And asked Hekate to bless the statue with her divine fire.

I started to colour the statue and already got the central pillar. First I had in mind to buy a Greek column, but these are quite expensive in the size that I need for the statues. So I decided to use a wood pole and my husband connected it with the table that will be used as the altar, on which the Hekateion will stand soon.

I have created herbal bags that are filled with herbs that are connected to Hekate and with other symbolic objects. I will put these bags into the statues as heart. The statues will be filled with this bag and other items to strengthen the connection to Hekate and they will help to ensoul the statues, or to animate it- how it was called in ancient Theurgy.

I blessed and empowered the bags on my sanctuary shrine and petitioned Hekate to fill these bags with her love, protection and power, that they will strengthen the connection to her, that she sends daimons and spirits to fill these bags as mediators and to animate the bags (and than the statues soon). I have used a recipe from late antiquity as basis. Rue, bay leaves, gum (which was gum arabicum I think, but I used the good smelling ambra gum instead), myrrh, olibanum and in the original recipe the crushed tails of lizards that live near houses. I used snake skin instead. And I added other herbs that are connected to Hekate too and hair of a bag dog, beeswax (because of her connection to honey) and amethysts (I personal connect these with Hekate, I don’t know ancient references for this). The bags will be put into the statues when they are finished.

I cleansed and blessed the altar table and the pole with incense, sacred water and herbs, I gave an offering of honey to the nymph of the tree that was used to create the pole and asked her to be welcome, to get a share in the offerings that will be given in future to Hekate and to aid me and other devotees in our worship of Hekate. After I have done this I noticed that I never did the same for the nymphs of other wood materials that I used so far as shrines or altars- so I invited the nymph(s) of the trees who were used to build the tables that I use as altar. And did the same for her (or them). And played the drum for the nymphs and the other spirits who surrounded me in my rite.

Now I wait until the other statues arrive, tomorrow I will speak with the artist who will help me in my project and I look forward to carry on my work.

Equinox and the Mysteries of Life

The Autumn Equinox is for me a time to be thankful for the good things in my life. To thank the Gods and spirits for their blessings and support since “Samhain”, to reflect about the personal harvest in my life. And to ask the spirits and Gods to bless this harvest and to give me the ability to use the things that I harvested as good as possible.

This harvest was a quite difficult one, I harvested many good things but some quite difficult situations, too. But even the difficult things in life help us to grow and to evolve. The harvest Equinox marks for me a transition, Kore returns into the realms of Hades, Hekate guides her on her journey. And for us mortals Hekate guides us through the mysteries of our life, the lesser ones and through the great ones. She guides us through the changes in our lives and these are connected to growth and decay, the birth of new things is always connected to the death of the old things and vice versa. 

The inner changes and the personal changes in our lives are often connected to the changes in nature. When Kore moves into the underworld it is time for us to descant into our own underworld, to reflect our life, to face the patterns of change that we created or into which patterns of change we were weaved into.

Understanding Hekate Part 7- Is she a Moongoddess?

 

Artwork by Shay Skepevski

 

Modern pagans and early scholars described Hekate often as a Goddess of the moon and connected her to lunar lore.

More recent studies broke with the view of Hekate as a Moongoddess.

In archaic and classical time she had no lunar roles in Greece or Asia Minor. The first hints of a lunar role emerged in the late classical time. Both Hekate and Artemis were seen as lunar Goddesses in that time and both were equated with Selene in a few sources (but on a higher level with Luna in the roman rime period).

But the view of Hekate as a Moongoddess got first popular during the roman times and more so in late antiquity.

Differences between lunar Goddesses and the Moongoddesses:

A Moongoddess is an embodiment of the moon. Like the Sungod is the embodiment of the sun.

In the Greek pantheon Selene was the Moongoddess. She is the moon- the moon is her physical incarnation and her domain of power. Luna was seen in that way by the Romans. Luna and Selene were both Moongoddesses.

But at the same time there were several Goddesses in the greco-roman world that had lunar symbolism connected to them. Goddesses who were connected to the moon but not completely. For example Hekate, Artemis, Diana, Juno, Athene, Isis and I think Aphrodite too. Hekate and Isis evolved with time from lunar Goddesses to real Moongoddesses.

 

How her lunar side evolved and how she turned into a Moongoddess:

Hekate was seen in her oldest emanations as a solar and chtonic Goddess. How did she got connected to the moon? I think this was a long process.

Selene had no cults in ancient Greece. She was the incarnation of the moon but had not much power or influence over other things. Hekate was a Goddess who was connected to the night strongly so I think it was just natural that she got a lunar side over time, because the moon illuminates the night, like Hekate herself with her torches (even if these had original a solar symbolism).

And I think that Selene had no cults and was not important, it was just natural that other Goddesses evolved a lunar side in ancient Greece.

But the key for her lunar side lies in the beliefs of the Romans. For them Luna was more important than Selene was for the Greeks. For the Romans the fertility of the land, of the animals and humans was connected to the moon and its phases (Jacob Rabinowitz explains that well in his book The Rotting Goddess). So many Goddesses who were connected to fertility in their original worship were connected to the moon by the Romans- because fertility was connected for them to the moon. Isis is a good example. In Egypt she wasn’t a Moongoddess or had lunar symbolism attached to her. But after her adoption by the Romans she was seen as a Moongoddess. Her lunar side got stronger over time until she was seen as an embodiment of the Moon (for example in the Golden Ass).

I think Hekate went through a similar process. She already had a weak lunar side attached to her when the Romans adopted her from Asia Minor (it got a roman colony) and was there strongly connected to fertility. And through the roman beliefs this side grew stronger and stronger.

Her lunar side was then strengthened through the Philosophy. In the Philosophy of the Neoplatonists the moon was seen as a mediator between the material world and the spiritual world. They called it a star-like earth- and an earth-like star. And connected the moon to Hekate who was at the same time an ouranic and chtonic Goddess- heavenly and earthly- like the moon itself.

The moon was seen as the place of daimons (mediating spirits) and in traditional religion Hekate was seen as mistress of daimons- so this too strengthened her lunar side in late antiquity.

To make the picture complete the moon was seen as the resting place of spirits and souls- Philosophy envisioned the realm of the dead now within the moon. Through that the moon was strongly connected to the underworld- and in traditional religion Hekate was strongly connected to spirits and the underworld since the hellenic time period. Her role as Goddess of witchcraft was important too for her development as a Moongoddess. For the Romans witchcraft was strongly connected to the moon. In ancient Greece the witches just drew down the Moongoddess from the sky to create an eclipse (so the dark moon out of its natural time). So Selene was a “victim” used by the witches. But in roman literature the witches were empowered by the moon and strongly connected to the lunar symbolism. Hekate was strongly connected to witchcraft and so she was fused with other lunar Goddesses in the roman writings about witchcraft.

In art Hekate was depicted with the crescent moon from roman times onwards. She was equated to Luna in many ancient texts and was even named as the moon herself.

For example in a fragment of Porphyry:

“But, again, the moon is Hecate, the symbol of her varying phases and of her power dependent on the phases. Wherefore her power appears in three forms, having as symbol of the new moon the figure in the white robe and golden sandals, and torches lighted: the basket, which she bears when she has mounted high, is the symbol of the cultivation of the crops, which she makes to grow up according to the increase of her light: and again the symbol of the full moon is the goddess of the brazen sandals. Or even from she branch of olive one might infer her fiery nature, and from the poppy her productiveness, and the multitude of the souls who find an abode in her as in a city, for the poppy is an emblem of a city. She bears a bow, like Artemis, because of the sharpness of the pangs of labour. And, again, the Fates are referred to her powers, Clotho to the generative, and Lachesis to the nutritive, and Atropos to the inexorable will of the deity. Also, the productive power of the corn-crops, which is Demeter, they associate with her, as the producing power in her. The moon is also a supporter of Kore. They set Dionysus also beside her, both on account of their growth of horns, and because of the region of clouds lying beneath the lower world.” – Porphyry on Idols

 

Conclusion:

It is true that Hekate was original not a Goddess of the moon. Her lunar side grew and evolved over time and got very popular in the roman period of time. And this lunar side grew and evolved until she got a Moongoddess herself in late antiquity and was seen as an incarnation of the moon. But unlike Selene in ancient Greece- the Moongoddess was just one side of her being. And her other sides or spheres of influence stayed intact- even with this new domain.

Personal views:

I see Hekate as a Goddess of many things- her connection to the moon- or she as a Moongoddess is just one of many spheres of influence. I can understand that many hellenic recons don’t see Hekate as Moongoddess or don’t see the sources of roman rime and late antiquity as important and focus more on the sources from the times before. But I personal am not interested in a reconstruction of the Hekate who was worshipped in archaic- classical or hellenic times. But I learn from her history and the views and beliefs about her in all time periods. For me to not see the roman- and late antiquity sources in connection to her- is like cutting several centuries of her worship and history just out. Hekate was a primordial Goddess, a pre-greek Titaness. Even her views in the archaic time period were a change in her character and in the beliefs the people had about her, she got new roles and some of her older roles stayed alive. I see it in a similar way when it is about her lunar side- or the view of her as Moongoddess. Yes in her original form she was no Moongoddess or even had no lunar side. But that changed with time- this side grew and she adopted this symbolism.

I see Hekate strongly as the great Titaness like Hesiod described her. And for me her power over the moon (or the view of her as Moongoddess) works well with her power over earth, sky and sea.

For me the moon is part of her power over the sky. And the Titaness Phoebe who was Hekates grandmother in Hesiods Theogony, was connected to the moon, too.

So I think even in her genealogy there is a weak link to the moon- as well as to other spheres of influence she adopted from her ancestors (like the night from Asteria) her solar connection through Perses), her power over earth, land and sky from Gaia, Uranos and Pontos- all these elements come toegher in her genealogy. But that is just my personal view.

 

Rose-salt, Wormwood and Wolfsbane

Last year a good friend (who is a witch, too) gave me rose-salt as birthday present. It was very tasty but we used it quite much for coocking and magical stuff- so it was empty soon. Last month on a friday after the new moon i walked for hours through the fields and forests and collected flowers of wild roses (in germay we call these dog-rose).

I have put them into salt and after a month i grinded it and so i got a very good smelling selfmade rose-salt. We will use it for coocking, but for blessed water and for magical stuff, too.

On the dark moon i harvested my wormwood and created smudge sticks. Usually i used just the normal wormwood for incense, oils and tinctures. But last year i planted french wormwood. This variety has a more intensive smell- and i look forward to see if it will smell different then the normal wormwood when i use it as incense.

The summer here in germany was very dry- but most of the plants in my witch garden grow very well. This year i have less mints through the dry weather- many sorts of mints didn’t start to grow so far. But i have more lemon balm than in “normal years”. And my wolfsbane is so full of flowers that i had to bind it together- because the flowers were to heavy and brought the plants down. On dark moon i harvested the first flowers too and offered some to Hekate in the Deipnon.

At the moment i do all my rites outside in my garden or on the crossroad (the shrine there is still intact and was not damaged anymore). And i really enjoy it to work outdoors. I love it to see the stars and moon above me, to feel the wind and to be able to search for omens and signs of the spirits and Gods around me during my rites.