Investigating Hecate

8/6/2019 Investigating Hecate

1/18

Investigating HecateContinued review of 2nd day aka

Monday

Covenant- Vows- Contracts

Reigning Truth Ministries, Inc.


2/18

Slide 27 from review of the days of the week

Hecate: Greek Moon Goddess who came outat night carrying a torch and accompanied bydogs. She was said to frequent crossroads,where statues to her were erected. A triple

Goddess, she was sometimes pictured ashaving the heads of a dog, a horse, and aserpent. Worshippers paid tribute on nights ofthe full moon by leaving offerings at her

statues. As queen of the night, Hecate ruledspirits, ghosts, and infernal creatures such asghouls. She was the patroness of Witchcraft.


3/18

We also heard this

Hecate is the Greek goddess of the crossroads.She is most often depicted as having three heads;one of a dog, one of a snake and one of a horse.She is usually seen with two ghost hounds thatwere said to serve her. Hecate is most oftenmispercepted as the goddess of witchcraft or evil,but she did some very good things in her time.One such deed was when she rescuedPersephone, (Demeter's daughter, the queen ofthe Underworld and the maiden of spring), fromthe Underworld. Hecate is said to haunt a three-way crossroad, each of her heads facing in acertain direction. She is said to appear when theebony moon shines.


4/18

We discussed resemblance to the

statute of liberty


5/18

We wanted more info


6/18

Additional research revealed

The Greek goddess Hecate was the only

one of the ancient Titans who Zeus

allowed to retain their authority once theOlympians seized control. Zeus shared

with Hecate, and only her, the awesome

power of giving humanity anything she

wished (or withholding it if she pleased).


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Usually classified as a "moon

goddess", her kingdoms were actually

three-fold . . . the earth, sea, and sky.Having the power to create or withhold

storms undoubtedly played a role in

making her the goddess who was the

protector of shepherds and sailors.


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A lover of solitude, the Greek goddess Hecate was,like her cousin Artemis, a "virgin" goddess, unwilling to

sacrifice her independent nature for the sake ofmarriage. Walking the roads at night or visitingcemeteries during the dark phase of the moon, thegoddess Hecate was described as shining orluminous.

In other legends she is invisible, perhaps onlyglimpsed as a light, a "will-o-the-wisp". Perhaps it wasthis luminous quality that marked Hecate as a "moongoddess", for she seemed quite at home on the earth.

Some scholars believe it is also was because her

mother was Asteria (the Titan goddess of the ShiningLight or "Star") or perhaps it was because she sensiblyalways carried a torch on her journeys.


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Hecate and even her animals, were

sometimes said to have three heads andthat they could see in all directions.

This farsightedness, the ability to see in

several directions at once (even the past,present, and future) featured largely in her

most famous myth, the abduction of

Persephone. For it was the goddess

Hecate who "saw" and told the frantic

Demeter what had become of her

daughter.


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The goddess Hecate continued to play animportant role in the life of Persephone,becoming her confidante when she was inthe Underworld. Hades, thankful for theirfriendship, was more than hospitable,honoring Hecate as a prominent andpermanent guest in the spirit world. Surelythis had the effect of enhancing her

reputation as a spirit of black magic with thepower to conjure up dreams, prophecies, andphantoms.


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In her role as 'Queen of the Night', sometimes

traveling with a following of "ghosts" and othersocial outcasts, she was both honored and fearedas the protectress of the oppressed and of thosewho lived "on the edge". In Rome many of thepriests in her sacred groves were former slaves

who had been released to work in her service. The goddess Hecate was often accompanied

on her travels by an owl, a symbol of wisdom.Not really known as a goddess of wisdom,per se,

Hecate is nevertheless recognized for a specialtype of knowledge and is considered to be thegoddess of trivia.


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It is hardly surprising that a woman who

needed to make a trip alone at night wouldsay a brief prayer to Hecate to seek her

protection. The goddess Hecate, like her

cousin Artemis, was known as a protectorof women, especially during childbirth

Hecate played a role that, in contemporary

times, we would describe as "hospice

nurse"


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She loans her farsightedness for you to seewhat lies deeply forgotten or even hidden,and helps you make a choice and find yourpath. Oft times she shines her torch to guideyou while you are in dreams or meditation

Hecate, "The Distant One" ( best known as

Hecate, Greek goddess of theCrossroads) is often represented by symbolsassociated with her personality traits and herrole as Queen of the Night. Since Hecate isthe goddess of witchcraft, it should come asno surprise that many of her goddesssymbols play a prominent role in thecelebration of Halloween.


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Myth: Hecate represented all three aspects of theGoddess as Maiden, Mother and Crone. In herCrone aspect, symbolized by the dark moon, shewas the Goddess of the Dead and the Queen ofthe Night. Hecate was worshiped at theintersections of three roads, where she walked

with her spectral hounds, illuminating the nightwith her blazing torch. Those who worshipedHecate knew the secrets of magic and sorcery,and dedicated their work to the dark goddess. TheCrone aspect of women, represented by Hecate,was honored in many cultures as the wise woman,the guide to the Underworld and the great revealerof the mysteries.


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Attributes: Wisdom, magic, prophecy,

mystery, regeneration, eternity.

Symbols: Crossroads, blazing torch, hounds.

Feast and Festival Days:

January 8, May 3,August 13, October 31, November 16,December 31.

Color: Black.

Dogs are sacred to Hecate, particularly blackdogs. The owl is her sacred bird


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A few pictures


17/18

Uggh!


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Documents

Investigating Hecate