Hecate

Names:
Spellings of Her Name: Hecate/Hekate/Hecat/Hekat

Pronunciations: Heh-kay-tee, Heh-kit, Heh-cah-teh

Other Magickal Names: Brimo, Divine Midwife, Chtonia, Dadouchos, Enodia, Kleidouchos, Kourotophos, Phosphorus, Propolos, Propylaia, Soteria, Triformis, Trioditis, Anassa eneroi, Soteira, Trivia

Symbols:
Symbols that are sacred to her include torches, black dogs, serpents, swords, lavender, golden sandals, keys, the color saffron, the color black, and the color white.

Background Information:
In modern Wiccan practices She is often pictured as part of the triple Goddess Diety, with the Hecate aspect typically realized as Crone. She is associated with Diana the Mother and Artemis the Virgin Huntress.

In reality Hecate is an ancient Goddess. So old, that her lore predates Greco-Roman cultures. She is included in the Pantheon of the Titans, and in the Pantheon of Olympus. She is feared and revered by Zeus. And in fact, was the only Titan to retain her name and powers in the switchover to Roman times.

Some believe that she is also linked to Hekat the frog-headed fertility Goddess of ancient Egypt.

In older images of the Goddess, she is singular in her authority, and is often pictured as a comely matron, or young woman. She oversaw much of human matters, and was even a protectress for pregnant women, the childbed, and families. She is in truth, mistress of the border between life and death. In later times, she is mostly remembered and celebrated for her association with Death and the Underworld. And thanks to dramatic works by writers such as Euripides and Shakespeare, she is almost always considered to be a Queen and Mother of all Witches, especially vengeful Witches dealing in deadly arts. In some myths she is considered to be the mother of the infamous Medea.

Rituals:
It is common to pay respects to Hecate by leaving offerings at the crossroads on the night of a dark or new moon. In voodoo practice, candy or coins are thrown behind the back of the practitioner, as they walk through a major crossroads. This was done to bring good luck, or let go of woes from the previous lunar cycle. In ancient practices, crumbs which fell to the floor of the home was only swept up on the dark moon. And the rotting rubbish was left at the crossroads as an offering to Hecate. Extending into the days of Christianity, people left offerings of fresh food and drink at crossroads, which were eaten by the poor and the vagrant.

A Ritual to End Excessive Bleeding:
This is a good ritual for those of you that suffer from painful, heavy or lengthy menstrual periods. It is also good for those of you that have suffered a miscarriage, and need the bleeding to come to an end.

When you start your bleeding, place a vase of fresh cut roses on your alter space and let them soak in the energy there. Nightly, light a black candle and ask the Goddess to ease your pain and fill your womb with gentle healing and rejuvenation. Your blood is like a waning moon. When the roses start to wilt and dry, take them from the vase and anoint them with some of your blood. Wrap them up in a paper sack and under the cover of night, take them to the crossroads in a woody area. Remove the dead roses from your bag and place them underneath growth away from the path. Thank the goddess for bringing an easy period and ending the cycle. Walk away and don't look back. Alternatively, if you live in an urban area, you could dump the flowers, bag and all, into a garbage bin on a street corner. Your bleeding should start to taper off almost immediately.

Image: (from JBL statues----see attachments)

Bibliography:
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, . Bearing Torches: A Devotional Anthology for Hekate. Lexington, KY: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2009. Print.

d'Este, Sorita. Hekate Her Sacred Fire. London, England: Avalonia, 2010. Print.

d'Este & Rankine. Hekate Liminal Rites. London, England: Avalonia, 2009. Print.

Walker, Barbara. The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, 1983.