Sisters
of the Burning Branch Goddess Gallery presents...
Goddess Hecate
By Firefly
Herstory
Hecate was originally a
Thracian and pre-Olympian Goddess.
According to Hesiod, she is the only child of Asteria and the Titan,
Perses. When Zeus and the Olympic
deities ousted and degraded the Titans, only Hecate (in deference to her antiquity) was allowed to
keep her power over the heavens, earth and underworld. She also shared a power with Zeus, the
ability to grant or withhold from humanity anything she wished. She is honored by humans as the Goddess of
Abundance.
She
is best known in Greek mythology for her assistance to Demeter, in rescuing her
daughter, Persephone, who had been abducted by Hades. It was agreed that Persephone would spend
part of the year in the Underworld with Hades and the rest on Earth with her
mother. Thereafter, Hecate acted as
guide for Persephone between the two worlds.
Hecate
is the oldest embodiment of the Triple Goddess, known as Hecate Triformis. She represents Maiden, Mother and Crone;
birth, life, death; mind body and spirit.
Hecate also represents the three stages of the moon, New, Full, and
Dark, hence the number 3 is sacred to Her.
Her Roles
In Her Maiden aspect, she
stands for new beginnings. She is the
Goddess of childbirth and often called upon to ease labor pains and to protect
the child. Look to her also if you need
to get a fresh look at a situation, see things from a different point of
view. Turn to her when the moon begins
to wax.
When you are in need of the nurturing and
protection a mother can provide, turn to Hecate in Her Mother aspect. Seek her when the moon is full.
As Crone, Hecate is sought for protection,
wisdom and magick. You would do well to
remember that Hecate can be very stern if the situation you ask her help with
was of you own doing. However, her wrath
is swift and just to those who would harm her follower. Turn to Her when the moon is dark.
Hecate, Goddess of Wisdom, is often
accompanied by an owl, the symbol of wisdom. She has the answers to the
mysteries. Depicted often as having
three heads, Hecate has the ability to see in several directions at once. Having the gift of seeing, past, present ,
and future, Hecate is a first choice when seeking advice.
Known as the Goddess of the Crossroads,
She is often seen carrying a torch at crossroads at night. Frequently a pole was erected at a crossroads
and hung with three masks to pay homage to Hecate and to request her help in
choosing a direction. Transition is a
central theme of this Goddess. She
guards doorways, escorts across borders, and guides in birth, initiation and
death.
Samhain is especially important to Hecate,
but several other festivals are celebrated in her honor during the year. The 13th of August is
traditionally the day to ask Her blessing on the coming harvest and her
protection from crop destroying storms.
Sacred to Hecate
Symbols—Torch, dark moon, crossroads, three-headed animals,
masks, and the number 3.
Animals---Dogs, horses, sheep, owls, bats and snakes.
Plants------Yew, blackthorn, willow, saffron, and pumpkins.
Scents------Queen of the Night,
cinnamon, myrrh, mugwort, honey, lime, and lemon verbena.
Gems-------Sapphire, silver, gold,
moonstone, hematite, any stone that is dark and luminous.
Colors------
Food--------Raisin
and currant cakes, honey, and small round cakes lit with tiny torches.
Day-----------The last day of each month.
Abundance Ritual
NEED:
pentacle
dragon’s
blood and cinnamon incense
black,
green and gold candles
water
and wine in two chalices
salt
in a bowl
honey
in a small bowl
green
ink pen
blank
check
small
box
Hecate
oil
Sweep
the area with your besom. Smudge the area with sage. Caste the circle.
Invoke
the elements:
Place the chalice of water on the pentacle,
place a pinch sea salt in the water.
“Powers of earth, powers of water bless this circle and protect this
rite.” Move chalice to original position.
Place incense burner on pentacle and light
the incense. “Powers of fire, powers of
air bless this circle and protect this rite.”
Move incense to original position.
Place black candle on pentacle and light
it. “ Great Goddess, Hecate, I invite
you to join me.” Place black candle with
the other two candles.
Place bowl of honey on pentacle. “Goddess
of Wisdom, I offer honey as a gift to honor you.”
Take green ink pen and write check payable
to yourself, paid in full, signed by the Law of Abundance. Place this on the pentacle. “Great Goddess, Hecate, Goddess of abundance,
hear me and give me guidance that I may have abundance.” Light the green and gold candles.
Meditate on what you want.
Do a self-blessing with Hecate oil. Place
the check in the box to be put in a safe place.
Place the chalice of wine on the pentacle. “Hecate, Dear Goddess, grant me abundance or
the means to obtain it, with the understanding that what I need, not
necessarily what I want, is the grant for which I beseech thee.” Lift the
chalice and drink to Hecate and pour some wine into a bowl to be placed
outdoors for Hecate’s animals. “Great
and generous Goddess, I thank you for your blessing and kindness.”
Open
the circle and dismiss the elements with thanks.
Resources:
http://hekate.timerift.net/sacred.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/MysticalArts/Hekate.html
http://zer0dmx.tripod.com/gods/images/hecate1.jpg
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