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| > The Dark Goddess “Queen of
the Night”, triple faced Hekate is one of the most ancient images of
mythology and an original embodiment of the Great Triple Goddess. She
is most often linked with the dark of the moon and presides over magic,
ritual, prophetic vision, childbirth, death, the underworld, and the
secrets of regeneration. Mistress of the crossroads, this lunar goddess
dwells in caves, walks the highways at night, makes love on the vast
seas, and is the force that moves the moon.
Porphory
wrote,” The moon is Hekate her… power appears in three forms.” Statues
of this goddess often depict her as three female figures, or crowned
with a triple-turreted headdress, or with three heads. Her three faces
reflect the triple extension of her powers over heaven, earth and
underworld. Here in the realm of nature she was honored as Selene, the
moon, in heaven; Artemis, the huntress, on earth; Hekate, the
destroyer, in the underworld. In this triad form she had control over
birth, life and death. As the
essence of the moon, Hekate presided over the three lunar phases in the
raiment of Artemis, the crescent new moon, Selene, the luminous full
moon, and Hekate the Waning moon. Artemis/ Diana represented the
moonlight splendor of the night, while Hekate represented its darkness
and terror reining over the power of the dark moon. All wild
animals are sacred to Hekate and she is sometimes shown with 3 animal
heads- the dog, snake and lion. This aspect refers to her rulership
over the ancient tripartite year of spring, summer and winter. However
her primary animal form and familiar was the dog. The black poplar and
yew trees were sacred to Hekate, As Hekate stood at the gateway between
shadow and light, the underworld and the upper world, the bicolor
leaves of the black poplar reflect her borderline qualities. The
shadowed, dark green upper side of the leaves that face heaven contrast
with the light, pale green underside of the leaves that face the earth.
Triple-faced
Hekate stands at the crossroads of our unconscious. As she watches us
approach she can see both backward and forward into our lives. When
Hekate is honored is bestows the gifts of inspiration, vision, magic
and regeneration. However, when we reject or deny Hekate, her shadow
side manifests as madness, stupor, and stagnation. As Dark Moon Goddess
of the dead, she not only represents the destructive side of life, but
also the necessary forces that make creativity, growth and healing
possible. As the Queen of the Underworld, Hekate is a
guardian figure of the unconscious. She enables us to converse with the
spirit and thus is mistress of all that lives in the hidden parts of
the psyche. This Goddess of the Dark Moon holds the key that unlocks
the door to the way down, and she bears the torch that illuminates both
the treasures and terrors of the unconscious. Hekate guides us through
this dark spirit world wherein we can receive a revelation. She then
shows us that the way out is to ride on a surge of renewal.
Gifts of Hekate: Vision, Magic and
Regeneration Hekate is
every woman’s potential as a witch, seer, and medium, healer, which
might be linked directly with the locked energies of menstruation, and
every man’s contact with this energy. Hekate is the archetypal shaman
as she moves between the worlds in a fluid way. She bridges the visible
and invisible realities delving for insight into the magical realms for
the purpose of healing and regeneration. Hekate is skilled in the arts
of divining and foretelling the future. She gives us dreams and
prophetic visions, whispers secrets to our inner ears and enables us to
converse with the spirits of the dead and unborn. Queen of the
Ghosts, Mother of the Witches, Mistress of Magic, Hekate bestows
magical knowledge. She holds the secrets to the workings of magical
spells, charms, enchantments, and the medicinal use of potent healing
and destructive substances.
Hekate dwelt
in the underworld alongside Hades, Persephone and other children of the
ancient Night. As Guardian of the Western Gate that marked the road
into the mythical darkness of the underworld, Hekate was a wardress and
conveyor of souls. She ruled the spirits of those who had returned to
the dark earth. This nocturnal Goddess of the Moon knew her way in the
realm of spirits, and stood at the triple crossroads in the underworld.
Holding her lighted torch she directed the souls on their way to the
realm of their judgment- the Aphodil Meadows, Tatarus, or the Orchards
of Elysium. Hekate
teaches us that the way to the vision that inspires renewal is to be
found in moving through the darkness. As we enter into Hekate’s realm,
we must confront and come to terms with the dark, unconscious side of
our inner nature. If we are to receive her gift of vision and renewal,
we must face this Dark Goddess within ourselves, honor, praise, and
make peace with her. By giving her trust as guardian of our unconscious
and surrendering to her process, we can allow ourselves to grow into an
awareness of the rich realm of our personal underworld. This
information is an excerpt from The Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The
Healing Power
of the Dark Goddess,
by Demetra George. @1992 by Demetra George. All rest of the material is
presented by MARE (Mystical Arts for the Regeneration of Earth), a
division of The Mere Project Charitable Trust. All other
artwork or photos are thanks to The Mystical Moon and http://hecatescauldron.org |
Hymn to Hekate Hekate of
the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads,
Celestial, Chthonian, and Marine One, Lady of
Saffron Robe. Sepulchral
One, celebrating the Bakchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,
Daughter of Perses, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer. Nocturnal One, Lady of the Dogs,
invincible Queen. She of the Cry of the Beast, Ungirt One, having an
irresistible form.Bullherder, Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe,
Mistress, Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths, Mountain Wanderer. I pray Thee, Maiden, to be present at our
hallowed rites of initiation, Always bestowing The graciousness upon
the Boukolos. Original
text: Orphic Hymn, Translation by Adam Forrest.
Sacred
Objects and Symbols of Hekate Symbols and
objects sacred to Hekate include dogs, horses, sheep, owls, bats,
snakes, and boars. Willows, dark yew, blackthorn, groves of trees are
sacred plants. Queen of the Night, cinnamon, myrrh, mugwort, honey,
lime and lemon verbena are sacred scents. Sapphire, silver, gold,
moonstone, black onyx, smoky quartz and any stone that is dark or
luminous is sacred.
mm
@@Thou
stands before the gates of Hekate’s Shrine Close thy eyes and think of a three
way cross path, where thou stands. See the moon as only the
darkened sky. Imagine that thou
carries food with thee as sacrifice. Lay the offerings in the middle of
the imagined crossway and speak out loud or in mind: Hail to thee, Hekate Mother of
Old Hail to thee, Artemis of the
crossroads, Trivia, Goddess of the three roads, let me walk the ancient
path again Hail to thee, Propylaia, let me
enter through thy sacred gate Hail to thee, Kleidouchos, lend
me thy keys for vision Hail to thee, Propolos, send me
thy heavenly guidance and aid Hail to thee, mighty
Phosphoros, send light and love my darkened ways. Hail to thee, mighty Mother of
Old, accept my sacrifice and let me dare to enter. |
GODDESS HEKATE
