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cthonic deities: hekate (greece) - crossroads, ghosts, witchcraft, necromancy

the protector of women and children. holds a key and a torch at the entrance to the underworld. liminal spaces, dogs, the moon, and the wilderness are sacred to her. known for assisting demeter’s search for persephone and being a companion to the queen of the underworld. held in high esteem by zeus and described as “tender-hearted” but powerful.

I call to Hekate, who stands at the crossroad,

who stands at the city gate, who stands before

each family's home, to watch and to ward off evil.

Bearer of torches, leader of hounds, holder of keys,

daughter of the deep earth and the starry sky,

you tread upon the path less traveled; you walk,

with certainty and without fear, in the dark night,

in the wilderness, along roads most treacherous,

among those who skirt the edges of order.

Hekate, friend of women, protector of children,

you know the perils of all the worlds, goddess,

as each world is your realm to wander. Thus do you

hold safe the home, thus do you bar the door from all ill,

thus do you drive away the baneful and the false.

Hekate, compassionate goddess, I call to you.

syntacked

Moon Photos | Nature

witchyrevvy

A Prayer To Hekate Before Tarot

Oh glorious Hekate Goddess of the underworld She who guards the crossroads Torch bearer and one before the gate Please guide these cards So that I may know what to do And honor you thoroughly

darkartfinds

Hekate by Cambion Art

thegreynightsky

imawitchywitch

Hekate: Queen of the Witches

Origins: In Greece she was a pre-Olympian Goddess who aided Zeus in the battle against the Titans. He shared some of his power to with her in return. Hekate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, she never married or had a regular consort. The monster Scylla was said to be her child. Originally she was Goddess of the wild places, childbirth and the crossroads. These are all in between spaces that are associated with the spirit world; for the wilderness is not yet tame, birth is the moment of life where death stands in waiting and the three ways cross roads intersect at a point that is between all the directions. She was called upon by the ancients to provide protection and wisdom at these critical points. As the in between spaces are the places where the veils between the worlds traditionally believed to be at their thinnest they are also associated with witches, magic and ghosts. From these links she gained the titles of Queen of witches and Queen of Ghosts and became a crone Goddess. Today she is considered to be a Goddess of crossroads as offerings were made to her on the night of the new moon. Hence she is also Queen of the night as she is linked to the darkest night. It was Hecate who heard the screams of Persephone as she was kidnapped by Hades. Later she became a good friend of Persephone, visiting her in the underworld.

Strengths: She was the powerful and wise gate keeper between the worlds.

Weaknesses: She was demonized in the early Christian era when she depicted as an ugly old woman.

Symbolism: Often shown as a triple Goddess with three faces or faces of a horse, a snake and a dog. The dark of the moon is linked with this Goddess.

Sacred Animal: Dogs, horse and serpents were sacred to this Goddess, and black female lambs were sacrificed to her.

Sacred Birds: The owl which represents wisdom and far sightedness was associated with Hekate as she had the ability to see into three different directions at once and also had the ability to see and travel in the hidden realms.

Sacred Plants: Many hallucinogenic plants are linked to Hecate including: Belladonna, hemlock, Mandrake and poppies as these can all induce visions. The Yew tree is sacred to this Greek Goddess as it is linked with death and is often found in ancient graveyards. Other plants associated with this Goddess include aconite, dandelion, garlic, lavender and willow.

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miss-impossible-xx-blog

my beautiful altar🖤 I’m so in love with my little magickal space✨

arjuna-vallabha

Hekate , wood sculpture from Egypt

adfdruidry

A lovely prayer to Hekate by @hauntingreveries

thegreynightsky

I loved the lighting in my room and how the setting sun graced her statue :)

lionofchaeronea

Hecate (The Night of Enitharmon’s Joy), William Blake, 1795

broomsick

• Hecate •

hekateanwitchcraft

Prayer of Devotion for Hekate

Hekate, my love for you is as endless as the cycle of life and death It has been you who has been present and will always be present From before my first breath to beyond my last My love for you burns bright like the torches you ever carry Lighting my way through the darkest times and leading me into the light Showing me the right path to take on the crossroads of life My love for you is as magical as the spells woven by candlelight in the dark As beautiful as the songs and incantations chanted around the bronze cauldron of Medea My love shines as bright as the moon whose light guides the lost in the dark of night As comforting and ever present and the silver orb that forever lights my path My love for you, oh Hekate, has no bounds, and I am devoted to you wholly and passionately.