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.

 

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Understanding Hekate- Part 3: Thre three as sacred number and Triformis

 

Mistress Hekate of the three-ways,

with three forms and three faces,

beguiled with Triglas (a fish- the mullet)…

The text above comes from a ancient fragment of Charikleides. it shows that Hekate is a Goddess that is strongly connected to the number 3. She has in many sources (and depictions) thee forms, three bodies, thee heads, is honoured on three-way crossroads (Y or T form), is connected to three realms (for example earth, sea and sky), was invoked in magic in threefold incantations, is from roman times onwards connected to the moon (and its three phases), in necromancy she (and the spirits) are honoured by threefold offerings of three substances (milk, honey oil, or milk, honey blood), she has power in underworld, on earth and in heaven (Olympus), or in the Chaldean Oracles in the material-, etheric, and empyrean worlds, in late antiquity she has three sacred colours (black, white and red), dogs are barking three times when she arrives- so I think you got the picture that the three is an important number for her.

But why is she so strongly connected to the number three?

And why does she appears in threefold form?

The short and dry answer is: From the historical perspective nobody knows it for sure. But over time scholars came to different theories about this. 

The first connection to the number three in a symbolical way does already appears in Hesiods Theogony (this is the oldest source about Hekate in ancient literature).

There she is connected to the three realms of the cosmos- earth, sea and sky.

She has power in all three of these realms (and I will write a separate article about this- so I will not go so deep into details about it here).

But the Hekate passage of Hesiod doesn’t mention threefold crossroads or that she herself appears in threefold form. She has just power in all three realms.

The first time Hekate was depicted in ancient Greece (in Athens) in threefold form in the 5th century before Christ. A famous sculptor of that time (Alkamenes) created the Hekate Epipyrgidia Statue (Hekate on the Tower). This statue is so far known the oldest depiction of Hekate in threefold form.

Many scholars believed that she was depicted threefold because of her power in the three realms- but none of the figures has attributes that would link them to any of the realms (like clams for the sea as example). The early figures of the Hekateia (the trhee-formed depictions around a central pillar) looked all the same.

Others believed that the crossroads were the source for Hekates threefold images- but in fact: The Hekateia stood not just on the crossroads- but on other liminal places, too.

And the Hekate Epipyrgidia (which was the first known threefold image) itself stood not on the crossroads- but on a tower of the Acropolis. From this tower the Goddess was able to watch over the whole city.

So she was first depicted in threefold form and than- after this image got popular- the Hekateion was seen as perfectly fitting to the threefold crossroads. Hekate was quite early on connected to liminal places (like thresholds, doors, portals,) and the crossroads are such a liminal place, too.

So it is quite possible that the threefold image of Alkamenes got so popular for later depictions of the Goddess- because she was so fitting to guard the liminal place of the crossroads (and I will write an article about the crossroads, too). The triple Goddess which had power in earth, sea and sky and was seen as a guardian of liminal points- was standing on the crossroads- protecting the space and able to see into all three directions of the ways that cross each other. 

So but when the triple Hekate didn’t evolved from the crossroads- why did Alkamenes portrayed her in this threefold form?

Nina Werth has in her book (Hekate Untersuchungen zur dreifachen Göttin) the theory that it has its roots in Hekates great power and her primordial being.

She is an almost almighty Titaness, she comes from primordial times and has a immense power. Her threefold depictions show this power- and the old age of her worship. There are many Triads of female Goddesses in ancient Greece who together shared a great amount of power. Like the Moirae (Goddesses of Fate), the Gorgons (primordial Goddesses), the Horai (Goddesses of the Seasons), the Erinys (Goddesses of Vengeance), the Kharites (Goddesses of Grace and Blessings) or the Hesperides (Guardians of the sacred apples). These Goddesses were triads of thee Goddesses who share together their power. Hekate had for herself a great power too- like usually triads of Goddesses shared them with each other. The three-formed image is a symbol of Hekates great amount of power. And like many of those triads- she is primordial and comes from times that were long gone (even in the 5th century before Christ- so much longer gone for us today).

For me personal this theory makes a lot of sense and fits well to my personal experience of her.

Hekate is one Goddess, but is expressing herself often in a threefold way, she is ancient and powerful. I think her strong connection to the number three- is born from the threefold depiction of her- and from her power in the three realms of earth, sky and sea. From the 5th century before Christ onwards her threefold depiction got popular and shortly after this her connection to the threefold crossroads (as liminal places) grew more to and were weaved together more and more.

The threefold crossroads were the ideal place to worship a Goddess that was viewed as threefold and was already connected to liminal places before her threefold image evolved. And I think after her power in three realms, the threefold image and the connection to the threefold crossroads were fused with each other- her connection to the number three in general was born, and her later connections to other symbols that are connected to this number (like the three moon phases from roman times onwards, the use of three colours in late antiquity or that she fused in her triple form with other Goddesses like Artemis, Selene and Persephone- as different aspects of the triple Hekate).

And from my personal experience the number three is strongly connected to her and is a kind of sacred number for Hekate. Often I use three ingredients in herbal powders as offerings to her, I give her three times offerings (like honey, milk and oil), worship her on the threefold crossroads, use three different herbs/resins to create incense for her, connect myself to the three realms (earth, sea, sky) use the three sacred colours from late antiquity in my rites and spells, I use the method of threefold incantations or to chant her name or epithets over three times (or of variations of three repeatings). In many cultures the number three is a magical number- and for me this fits well to Hekate, too. Because she herself is strongly connected to magic.

Understanding Hekate- Part 2: The “Chaldean Hekate”.

 In late antiquity Hekate was an important Goddess in the Chaldean Oracles and the Theurgy of neoplatonism.

The Chaldean Oracles are oracular texts that were channelled through trance-mediums. The Gods were invoked into young boys. The gods spoke through these boys to the people who invoked them. And the oracles were written down. Most surviving fragments of these oracular texts survived for us through the writings of neoplatonists who wrote comments about them. Or through church people who quoted the oracles in their texts against the pagan cults.

The Chaldean Oracles got their name from Julian the Chaldean- he lived in Rome (the city) while he wrote down the oracles. And his son continued the work of his father- Julian the Theurg. So the oracles are not named after ancient Chaldea (the land) but after the composer (Julian the Chaldean).

Most fragments of the oracles were spoken by Apollon-Helios and Hekate.

In the fragments of the Chaldean Oracles and in the interpretation of those through the neoplatonic philosophers and practitioners of their theurgy we know that Hekate was a kind of Great-Goddess in this context.

In this worldview there are three worlds- the material world (our world- which contains the sphere of planets above us and the Tartaros below us). The etheric world– which is the world of soul, daimons and spirits (like our modern view of the astral world). And the empyrean world (divine world). The etheric world mediates and connects the material world with the empyrean world (and separates the two at the same time).

The main Gods:

There are three great Gods in this worldview. Had (the first father, first fire- supreme first being), Hekate and Hadad (the second father, second fire). Had is the pure divine and has his realm outside of the cosmos. Hekate emanates out of Had and is a hypostasis of him. Hekate bore the second father (Hadad) and from her womb the worlds were born too (and the angels, the world soul, nature and her three virtues: Love, faith and truth).

I will now try to explain the view of Hekate in this system or worldview. This is filtered through my own understanding of this (sometimes quite complicated) topic. So all what follows is my personal interpretation- but influenced by personal experience of the Goddess, too.

Had-Hekate-Hadad:

Had has just one emanation- he exists just in the highest and purest sphere of the empyrean world. Hadad has two emanations- he exists in the empyrean world and in the material world at the same time- divine spirit weaved into matter.

Hekate has three emanations- she exists at the same time in the empyrean world, etheric world and the material world (and these worlds were born from her womb). She is outside of the three cosmic worlds (on the threshold to Had) and within the cosmos (in all three worlds). Through this she is one Goddess in her hypersocmic form- but threefold in her cosmic form. Together the Gods build a harmony.

She has different roles in these worlds or manifests herself different in each of the three worlds.

The empyrean Hekate:

In the empyrean world Hekate has her sphere below the sphere of Had.

She has her place on the threshold between the supreme and pure divinity- and the lower empyrean spheres. She mediates between the first father Had and the second father Hadad. She is in the centre of all things. At the same time hypercosmic (like Had) and cosmic (Hadad). So she is at the same time hypercosmic (outside of the cosmos) and cosmic (in the cosmos)

In the empyrean world she is the mother or source of angels (messengers who mediate like herself), the source of the three great virtues (love, faith and truth). And she is great Soteira- the saviour.

Through the great empyrean Hekate the practitioners of Theurgy were able move out of the circle of rebirth and do go back into the sphere of Had. Hekate Soteira was able to guide the spirited souls of the theurgs back into the haven of Had (and so free the soul/spirit from new incarnations). In the empyrean spheres Hekate has strong solar attributes.. She is a Great Goddess- the three worlds were borne from her womb, the light, the aether, the world soul, fate and nature.

The etheric Hekate:

In the etheric sphere Hekate is the ensouler of the cosmos- and was equated with the world soul of Plato. She mediates between the Gods of the lower empyrean spheres and the material world (similar to her mediating role between Had and Hadad in the empyrean world). She is the ruler of daimons (who do the same job like she herself- they connect the Gods through the etheric world with the material world- or the worshippers with the Gods through the interaction of the daimons).

She is connected to the moon- who also mediates between the worlds. And the moon was envisioned as the abode of the realms of Hades (where the dead found their resting place) and the Elysian Fields (were special humans found their resting place or the people who were initiated into the mysteries).

So in the lunar sphere she can act as Soteria (saviour) too, through her influence souls can find abode in the Elysium instead of the Hades.

The material Hekate:

In the material world Hekate appears more like she was viewed in the traditional religions of the greco-roman world. She is the ruler of earth, sea and sky (as physical places). She is Physis (nature) and fate. Where the etheric Hekate had the power to connect the soul of the theurgists with their spirits and draw them up to the empyrean spheres- the material Hekate draws the souls down from the etheric world into embodiment- into physical incarnation. Because of that they tried to avoid the influence of the material world and of material Hekate.

I personal don’t see the material Hekate as negative (like the neoplatonists interpreted her) but this aspect is for me personal quite important. For me she is nature and I can find the divine weaved into nature. In the oracles nature was described as the living mantle of Hekate.

In this worldview the Tartaros (as the place of punishment for the souls of “evil” people) is not located in the etheric sphere of the moon (like the Hades or the Elysium) but is located in the lowest manifestation of the material world. It is within the earth and ruled by Hekate-Echidna as mistress of the Tartaros.

Hekate is described in her material forms quite similar like she is depicted in the PGM. There she is a Great-Goddess, but quite material. She is change, fate, growth and death, beginning and end. And I think this is the key to understand the material Hekate. She is more ambivalent than in her etheric- or empyrean forms.

Conclusion:

So in the worldview of the Chaldean Oracles Hekate is not just the world soul- but she has emanations in all three worlds. She is material, etheric and empyrean. For me she is like a kind of world-tree in this system. She is the source of the worlds- but at the same time an embodiment of each world. She is cosmic and hypercosmic.

Like a world tree she connects the worlds with each other- she is on the lowest point (Tartaros in the material world) and on the highest point (on the threshold of the sphere of Had) at the same time. And she is on all the thresholds of the different worlds. Guarding the portals- mediating and separating at the same time.

Good sources about Hekates roles in the Chaldean Oracles are these books:

Hecate by Stephen Ronan

Hekate die dunkle Göttin by Thomas Lautwein.

And Hekate Soteira by Sarah Iles Johnston (but she focuses more on her role as world-soul).

Understanding Hekate- Part 1: Hekate Polymorphos

 Many people have a very general knowledge of the ancient Gods- often the Gods are reduced to one single aspect of their being. For example Aphrodite as the Goddess of love, Ares as the God of war, Hermes- the messenger of the Gods, Artemis the Goddess of hunt, Apollon the God of light, Hera the Goddess of marriage (or just named as the wife of Zeus), Zeus the supreme God etc…

But if you begin to delve deeper into the old Gods you will notice that these Gods are more than just this label. The gods of ancient Greece had many spheres of influence, much more depths and aspects. For example Dionysos was not just the God of wine- sure wine is one of this gifts to humankind. But he is a God of ecstasy, joy, mysteries, dance and music, theatre, a liberator and a God of the growth in nature- and many things more. Artemis was not just the Goddess of the hunt and her brother Apollon not just the Lord of light. All Gods had more depth, character and aspects.

And there was never one true view of the Gods in ancient Greece. The same God/Goddess could be viewed much different in different regions and locations. Even our modern view of THE 12 OLYMPIAN GODS was in antiquity never standardised (like we view it today). In different locations which Gods were part of the great 12 could be different than in other locations (and for example on the islands Crete and Chalke Hekate was part of the great 12 instead of Hera). The Gods were not viewed through one fitting label in the ancient world.

The same is true for Hekate. And today it is not that easy to find one fitting label for her- or not that easy than to the other ancient Gods. She had not one sphere of influence- but many. Many find a solution and label her as Goddess of spirits, necromancy and witchcraft (which she is of course) but if you pin her down to this aspects- you see just the top of the iceberg.

Hekate is a Goddess that has not one fixed form, she has many aspects, many emanations- she is Polymorphos- with many forms.

This is part of her character. She has power in different realms and can appear in these realms in different forms. She is one Goddess- but expresses herself in many forms. There was never one true fixed view of Hekate in antiquity. In art she was first shown as seated on a throne (a small votive statue found in Athens).

Than she appears in art (as depiction or statue) as a maiden with torches- or as maiden with torch and an oinochoe or phiale in her hands (ancient libation bowls). Sometimes standing near a burning hearth/altar.

Than she was portrayed as Hekateia (three formed images of her, depicted around a central pillar). Later on in triple form in reliefs, too. But the single and triple depictions of her stayed alive side by side through the ages.

In late antiquity she was even portrayed in four-formed images.

Hekates appearance in literature can bring headache to the people- in some sources she is described as a Great-Goddess figure- almost almighty (like in Hesiods Theogony, some invocations in the PGM, the “Orphic Hymn to her” or in the Chaldean Oracles). In some sources she is describes as shining young maiden, with good heart, filled with light. In other sources she is a dark and fearful Goddess, with snake hair and mistress of restless spirits and witchcraft. In some sources she is described as having animal heads (but there is not one statue of her who show her like this) and in one description she has even the lower body of a snake instead of legs.

If you accept that Hekate has not one true fixed form, it gets much easier to get a sense through the different views of her. Often it gives even a better sense if you look to the time and location of the source. For example all fearful descriptions of her came after the fifth century before Christ. Before this time she was described as a quite benign Goddess without any fearful attributes. And this view stayed alive over the centuries next to her fearful emanations, too. Often it gives more sense if you look to the realm that gives her these attributes. You will experience the empyrean Hekate (of the divine realm) different than the mistress of Tartaros. Hekate appears in the different realms in different forms and draws her power from these realms- from my experience.

From the sources in antiquity it gets quite clear that Hekate changed and evolved over time. First she was seen as a primordial Titaness- a kind of Great-Goddess figure in the beginning of the archaic time period. In the classical time she was described as a beautiful, shining maiden figure that was connected to thresholds and liminal times and spaces and who was able to guide through these and light the way. In the hellenic time period her darker emanations got more and more popular and she was seen as a sometimes fearful Goddess of night, magic, witchcraft, spirits and necromancy.

In the roman time period she evolved more and more into a lunar deity. And in late antiquity she again was seen as a Great-Goddess figure- as the empyrean Queen from which womb the worlds were born, the cosmic world soul and embodiment of nature and the natural cycles. But even with this evolutions the other aspects stayed alive, too. Even in the hellenic time when her fearful side was popular in literature- we still have sources that describe her as benign, beautiful and shining Goddess. The different views of her were alive side by side through the ages.

Hekate can appear as the gentle maiden Goddess, filled with light and light bringing. Like a star in the darkness. But she can appear as the dark mistress of restless spirits, too. Our you can experience her as a Great-Goddess figure, too- ruling over fate and change. Hekate is all that and more- she is Polymorphos- the Goddess of many forms.

She is not just the Goddess of crossroads, spirits, necromancy and witchcraft- like many believe (but she is that of course) but much more.

And I will delve into her aspects, spheres of influence and realms during the following articles.

Conclusion:

If you want to understand Hekate- accept that there is not one true form of her- or ever was. To express herself in many forms is part of her being. To understand this is the first step to understand her.

Understanding Hekate: Introduction

Sara Neheti Croft has started on her blog a project: 30 Days of Hekatean Devotion.

I really liked this idea. But I wrote already stuff about many of the topics/questions of the Pagan Blog… on my German Hekate blog. But the idea to begin something similar drew me to begin this project now.

Hekate is a Goddess with many aspects and emanations, but often these are quite misunderstood or interpreted in a sometimes strange way.

With the articles that will follow I want to write about my own view of the Goddess and delve into different topics. These articles are written from my own interpretation of Hekate, from my personal experience of her and from my personal understanding of the ancient sources about her. And the articles will mirror my understanding and experience of Hekate (and the ancient sources about the Goddess) in the now. Those things can change and evolve. And this was true for my past, too. My view changed and evolved like my connection to Hekate (or my knowledge about her) changed and evolved with time.

I wish all readers a lot of joy and inspirations with the articles that will follow…