Nemesis Now Greek Goddess Hekate Magic Goddess Bronze Figurine

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Variations in interpretations of Hecate's roles can be traced in classical Athens. In two fragments of Aeschylus she appears as a great goddess. In Sophocles and Euripides she is characterized as the mistress of witchcraft and the Keres. [ citation needed] Hecate [a] ( Έκατη in Ancient Greek) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, [2] and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, protection from witchcraft, the Moon, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, graves, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. [3] [4] [5] Her earliest appearance in literature was in Hesiod's Theogony in the 8th century BCE [6] as a goddess of great honour with domains in sky, earth, and sea. Her place of origin is debated by scholars, but she had popular followings amongst the witches of Thessaly [7] and an important sanctuary among the Carian Greeks of Asia Minor in Lagina. [7] Her oldest known representation was found in Selinunte, in Sicily. Webster, Noah (1866). A Dictionary of the English Language (10thed.). Rules for pronouncing the vowels of Greek and Latin proper names", p.9:" Hecate ..., pronounced in three syllables when in Latin, and in the same number in the Greek word Ἑκάτη; in English is universally contracted into two, by sinking the final e. Shakespeare seems to have begun, as he has now confirmed, this pronunciation, by so adapting the word in Macbeth.... And the play-going world, who form no small portion of what is called the better sort of people, have followed the actors in this world, and the rest of the world have followed them.

Because she is the goddess of life and death, she is also a protector and gatekeeper of the spirit realm. Her presence is felt in cemeteries, as well as in birthing centers and hospitals. If you’re brave enough AND understand how to protect yourself, spirit work in the cemetery is another way to honor Hecate. But be careful…this isn’t a practice for beginners or for fun. There are many different kinds of spirits in the cemetery. And, while this is Hecate’s domain, she won’t keep the spirits at bay for those who disrespect the dead. 10. Offerings by the Door a b c d Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony, eds. (1996). The Oxford Classical Dictionary (Thirded.). New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 671. ISBN 0-19-866172-X. You can use items related to the symbols connected with her like a snake, a torch, a knife, a key, or a wheel of Hekate. Bring some elements related to Hekate: down below you are going to find a few of the main elements you can use to create an altar. You can use one, two, three, or all of them or you can skip those suggestions and choose a few items that make you think of Hekate. When it comes to altars, the more you can customize them, the better!

Origin

Baktria, Kings, Agathokles, ancient coins index with thumbnails". WildWinds.com . Retrieved 24 September 2012. Sarah Iles Johnston, Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece, University of California Press, 1999, p. 207. Lagina, where the famous temple of Hecate drew great festal assemblies every year, lay close to the originally Macedonian colony of Stratonikeia, where she was the city's patron. [97] In Thrace she played a role similar to that of lesser- Hermes, namely a ruler of liminal regions, particularly gates, and the wilderness. One surviving group of stories [ clarification needed] suggests how Hecate might have come to be incorporated into the Greek pantheon without affecting the privileged position of Artemis. Here, Hecate is a mortal priestess often associated with Iphigenia. She scorns and insults Artemis, who in retribution eventually brings about the mortal's suicide. [127] In Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 18, 211, 873 (Sommerstein, pp. 444, 445 n. 2, 446, 447 n. 24, 538, 539 n. 113) Prometheus is made to be the son of Themis.

Cicero, Horace, Juvenal, Martial, Pliny, Seneca, and Suetonius have left abundant and interesting testimony to the red mullet fever which began to affect wealthy Romans during the last years of the Republic and really gripped them in the early Empire. The main symptoms were a preoccupation with size, the consequent rise to absurd heights of the prices of large specimens, a habit of keeping red mullet in captivity, and the enjoyment of the highly specialized aesthetic experience induced by watching the color of the dying fish change." [45] Smith, William. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: Taylor, Walton, and Maberly. There is another very important feature which arose out of the notion of her being an infernal divinity, namely, she was regarded as a spectral being, who at night sent from the lower world all kinds of demons and terrible phantoms, who taught sorcery and witchcraft, who dwelt at places where two roads crossed each other, on tombs, and near the blood of murdered persons. She herself too wanders about with the souls of the dead, and her approach is announced by the whining and howling of dogs. 13 The origin of the name Hecate (Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) and the original country of her worship are both unknown, though several theories have been proposed. The east frieze of a Hellenistic temple of hers at Lagina shows her helping protect the newborn Zeus from his father Cronus; this frieze is the only evidence of Hecate's involvement in the myth of his birth. [33] [34] Sacred animals [ edit ]By the 5th century BCE, Hecate had come to be strongly associated with ghosts, possibly due to conflation with the Thessalian goddess Enodia (meaning "traveller"), who travelled the earth with a retinue of ghosts and was depicted on coinage wearing a leafy crown and holding torches, iconography strongly associated with Hecate. [29] As a goddess of witchcraft [ edit ] If Hecate's cult spread from Anatolia into Greece, then it possibly presented a conflict, as her role was already filled by other more prominent deities in the Greek pantheon, above all by Artemis and Selene. This line of reasoning lies behind the widely accepted hypothesis that she was a foreign deity who was incorporated into the Greek pantheon. Other than in the Theogony, the Greek sources do not offer a consistent story of her parentage or of her relations in the Greek pantheon.

In the syncretism during Late Antiquity of Hellenistic and late Babylonian (" Chaldean") elements, Hecate was identified with Ereshkigal, the underworld counterpart of Inanna in the Babylonian cosmography. In the Michigan magical papyrus (inv. 7), dated to the late 3rd or early 4th century CE, Hecate Erschigal is invoked against fear of punishment in the afterlife. [140] Schwemer believes that this use of Ereshkigal's name merely furnished "the Greek Netherworld goddess with a mysterious-sounding, foreign name". [141] Relief of triplicate Hekate. Three female figures framed in aedicula, with high poloi on their heads, dressed in chiton and peplos, holding torches in their hands. When should I create it? We’ve found Hecate tends to call a lot of younger witches to her path, because she feels she can teach them the old ways effectively. Of course, you can also work with Hecate in your later years, as she is often manifest as a crone or hag deity, as well. But here’s some specific ways to know Hecate is calling you to her: Bonnefoy, Yves; Doniger, Wendy (1992). Roman and European Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. p.195. She is featured in a few prominent myths including in Hesiod, where she is the daughter of a powerful Titan and nymph. In this myth, Hecate has immense power and rules over the three realms – land, sky, and sea. Which is evident in her triple form manifestation. She’s also well known for playing an integral role in the myth of Demeter and Persephone. She bears witness to Persephone’s “kidnapping” and aids Demeter in recovering her stolen daughter from Hades and the Underworld. Hecate’s Magical Domains & Associations Domain

Bibliography

Hecate, whose name means either “far-reaching one” or “will power”, is much older than the ancient Greek civilizations who continued her worship. In fact, she is linked to ancient Anatolia, to a people named the Carians (not Karens, folks), who worshiped her at an ancient temple in Laginia. Other sources claim she comes from Thrace, which is a region covering parts of Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey today. And, what’s really interesting, is that she was thought to originally have been a goddess of fertility, childbirth, and of the wilderness. And later took on the “dark” image we know of her today – the goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, spirits, and the Underworld. Russell, Thomas James (2017). Byzantium and the Bosporus. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p.184. ISBN 9780198790525. Hecate's island (Ἑκάτης νήσου) also called Psamite (Ψαμίτη), was an islet in the vicinity of Delos. It was called Psamite, because Hecate was honoured with a cake, which was called psamiton (ψάμιτον). [102] The island is the modern Megalos (Great) Reumatiaris. [103] Deipnon [ edit ] A friend sent me a link to your article.I am utmost and foremost a Priestess of Hecate! She called to me in a dream 30 years ago today! At that time i had no idea who this lady in my dream was. I asked her her name and she Hecate. I said who and she told me to look it up. LOL she has a great sense of humor. We have journeyed together ever since! I have and am doing everything you list and more. She does get a bad rap as a dark diety but as you said she is so much more than that. Yes she can be blunt, harsh and a badass. She is also very caring, loyal and devoted to those that are hers. She very much requires you to take action on her behalf but also your own behalf. There are mutliple groups that honor and follow her on facebook, YouTube and in person for those interested in finding others thst are in relationship with her. Thank you so much for your article, as her Priestess and follower it so nice to find like hearted people that share and honor her and her ways. Namaste, in hope, joy, love and serenity! Gayle