The White Moon Goddess Gallery Presents
HEKATE
Level
One Project by Hecate Oliva
Initiate in the Sisters Beneath the Whispering Willows
© 2013. All original material in this site is under copyright protection and is the intellectual property of the author.
Hekate is a third generation Titan descendant of the original twelve. She has rulership over earth, sea and sky, as well as a more universal role as Savior (Sootier – female savior figure to mankind), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul.[4][5] She was one of the main Gods worshiped in Athenian households as a protective Goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family Her parents were Parses and Asteria, whom also bestowed upon her all of her Godly powers. Hecate or Hekate (pron.: /ˈhɛkətiː/; ancient Greek ἙκάτηHekátē; /ˈhɛkət/) is an ancient Goddess, most often shown holding two torches, or a key, and in later periods depicted in triple form. She is variously associated with Y shaped roads known as Crossroads, entrance-ways; fire, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery. Hekate is often referred to as Queen of the Witches.
She was associated with Cerberus, the moon, torches, magic, her famous key to the Eleusinian mysteries, managing ghosts and ushering the dead in and out of the veil. The Eleusinian mysteries was a series of education free to every man woman or child, free from slavery in the third century AD. They teach about life’s secrets and not to fear death as it circles to rebirth. The teachings say that those graduating seemed no longer to have a fear of death.
Samhain or Halloween is considered witches New Year and is also associated with Hekate. It is the time when the veil between the world of the living and dead is thinnest so her presence is of great importance and central in the protection of man from the unwanted presences from beyond the veil. Any who escape are devoured by her faithful guardian Cerberus.
Hekate continues to be worshipped by modern day witches, as well group in Greece called Hellion witches. Hekate stands as the Crone aspect of a triple Goddess form one of the first in history. Interestingly enough, in some of her earliest days she was seen as the maiden form and associated mainly with childbirth and midwifery. Historians would tell you that her most prolific period would be roughly (450BCE-350AD) , but she remains extremely popular amongst today’s witches and occultists.
Hekate was referred to by the author Hesiod and others in songs and stories associated with Demeter, mother of Persephone. It was Hekate who negotiated the release of Persephone from the Underworld, for the warm part of the year, to return to earth at spring’s first bud to be with her mother Demeter. Persephone was stolen by Hades, while gathering flowers, at the request of his brother Zeus, and brought down to the Underworld to be his Queen. Persephone only had to spend the cold and dark parts of the year with Hades and rule as Queen of the Underworld because of the negotiation.
Hecate, Greek Goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft was once a widely revered and influential Goddess, the reputation of Hekate has been tarnished over the centuries by the Book Religions. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron.(Goddessgift.com)
There are many symbols that are associated to Hekate: treskele, dogs, an owl, the color purple, the stones obsidian and moonstone. Sometimes, as she was shown to be trifomus, with the Maiden and Mother aspects as well. So too was her symbolic or familiar animals, like Cerberus her three headed dog. Cerberus’ heads are also triform some saying they represent past, present, and future, others saying birth, youth and old age.
She has also been named Queen of the witches and magic in all its forms. There were also Hekataion, a pole where three masks were put on a post at every crossroads. She is guardian of the newborn, the innocent. She makes nightly rounds to cemeteries to manage the good and bad spirits all the same. She helps those who are innocent cross the veil. Others become part of the soul train. The soul train consists of spirits that are of the unwanted, which would range from bad to demonic.
Festivals
She was first worshipped in both Greece and Rome. The Greeks celebrated two days, the Moon of Hecate on the 13th of every August; they also celebrated on the 30’Th of November. While the Romans celebrated her on the 29th of every month
As Hekate became more and more associated with magic and the witches, she became associated with black magic and odd rituals. And as Christianity and other religions, based on one male God proliferated, her followers were labeled as witches. Witchcraft became blasphemous, according to the Christians and others such as the Egyptians and the Muslims and more, came to believe that the craft, its believers and every God/Goddess associated with them had to be eradicated. This is also when they started to portray her as a haggish looking woman not the wise crone we know her as today in an attempt to make her look evil and scary.
Many people left offerings to Hekate to keep bad spirits away from the house. Some would leave leftovers outside for her dogs, others would put, out of respect and fear, a set of three masks to honor each of her aspects. A Hekataion with three masks would be placed at places where roads made a “Y” shape, both to honor her but also to pray that she would show the way to go whenever one’s life came to a crossroads.
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Ritual to Triform Goddess By Hecate Oliva
For this ritual we will require an athame to draw the circle with. If one is not available, a wand or index finger will do. There also has to be 13 large white candles and 13 slightly thinner red candles, incense, an abalone shell and 13 small white shells(reflecting the shape of feminine genitalia), small black candles, white and black salt, a cauldron or container able to stand heat, as well as sand and charcoal puck for incense.
First (before the ritual) I set up my altar with thirteen white candles symbolising the white moon placed in a circular formation around my altar which is round anyway. Then I would have thirteen red candles representing women’s bleeding. They would be slightly smaller but it would form a circle inside the white circle.
I also have my cauldron with a charcoal puck and some nice incense filling the room with a nice scent like rose. Just below that I place my abalone shell filled it with water, then to the left those little black candles in a crescent shape, on the other side those little shells that look like lady parts. I fill the abalone shell with water because it is the full moon and represents the mother phase of life, as it contains the water of life. We will also need a small bowl of red sand or Dragon’s blood, and a bowl of black salt, and one of white salt.
I would have anybody present seated, with plenty of room to move around for later. I then draw my magic circle saying:” I am making this magic circle, a world between worlds to celebrate the Goddess, moon, and the waters of life. I draw it asking for safety and protection.” I ask respectfully for the presence of the directions, their elements and protectors to stand guard while thus honoring life, and the great Goddess herself.
I now call upon the Holy directions. All hail the North, East, West, and South. (Repeated once for each direction.) I do now invite, and invoke the Goddesses, the Maiden Persephone, the Mother, Diana, and the Crone Hecate. I thank you all for your presence and do offer thee these cakes and fruit here on the side. On this holy altar behold the symbols of life as we travel through our time on earth.
Dear Maiden Persephone, see here to the right, the first light of both moon and life belonging to a wise maiden, which is you of course. We have nine white shells showing the innocence of maidenhood. Please accept this gift of salt. Salt that is pure. Salt that is purifying. I then sprinkle some to cover the right side of the moon.
Dear Mother Diana, you are the wise mother, giver of life, knowledge and many other things. See this abalone shell, pregnant with life’s water. The water full of life’s primordial secrets and knowledge, many mysteries are held here how holy and kind of to have this for us, full moon that sees everything: who knows all and who is you. Please also accept the purifying gift of salt.
Dear Crone Hecate wisely collecting her menstrual knowledge and sharing it with us. I light these nine candles to represent your knowledge and mysteries, your wisdom and compassion. Here in the center of the left part of the moon, please accept the gift of black salt also purifying, however it has one aspect a little different it reflects and returns any negativity that may cross your path.
And so we see, that together these three important parts of life, together and individually go together to make the wheel of life. As one stage flows into another, death and renewal flow from the Crone hood. It is said of the Crone that in exchange for our fertility, we receive elder knowledge during this time. Some say it is received during the time in which you would have bled, but many say that it is in the three days of the dark moon. Either way it is a great gift bestowed upon is by the Dark Mother.
I thank you glorious Maiden for your company and wisdom, we bid you thank you and farewell. I thank you oh wonderful mother who shares her very light with us, her life and wisdom. You walk with us so generously; I bid you thank you and farewell. To the wise Crone I think you so much for your time and presence as we learn our mysteries. I wish you thank you and farewell.
Please all stand and walk around within the circle freely to absorb the feelings a bit more, then I say “It is time to undo our magic circle. I will thank the directions and elements and release them as well. I shall now walk the magic three, counter clockwise returning the space to the way it was found. Any extra energy goes to the Goddess to be used as she wills.”
Than when this is over I would invite any questions or chat. Then have a potluck dinner and enjoy the life we have just seen before our eyes.
Here is where you see the 3 forms of the Goddess in order. First as her guarding with her famous tourches. Then a mothering age of contemplation and then the crone with knowledge collected ready for her nightly watch. Also my moonwater, powered by a night under the full moon for self blessings, and house blessings as well as blessings of others. It is a ritual of my type my Stregheria path that I was raised in.
Here is one of the soap stone owls, as well as a very antique little offering cup for silver and such.
My original art contributions to my final are quite simple. The first is my altar which is dedicated to Hekate. It has several black cats. I have several owls there some are hard to see they are dark gray soap stone with black eyes. I have a representation of the dark mother, a black stone angel. I have a motherly aged representation, and finally Hekate as the crone. They are small but they are at the front of the altar. I have a pitcher of moon water always ready for self blessings or for other people and house blessing.
Being that Samhain is normally associated with her, I have a circlet of pumpkin lights that are always on that’s how I keep the “fire” burning for her. I have 3 cats so it would be very inappropriate to leave live candles or we’d all be fried by morning so the lights are a compromise. They are in a circular pattern to represent the moon.
I have a mortar and pestle for resins or herbs. There is also an abalone shell, with the holes sealed with wax, and 13 white shells and a representation of the Goddess that floats in the fertile waters of the shell within the shell that represents that from which we came and shall return.
I also have a familiar guardian Gryphon, it came with a dedication to protect spell so it is linked to me. It came with accord to symbolically tie it down, but I did no such thing as I love the gryphon and he stays of his own free will. I will not have a slave.
I have an old school bell; I have a chalice for libation offerings and many containers for offerings. I also have a cauldron to accept resin burnings or things that need to be burnt for Vestia to take to the gods.
One of my favorites is at the back there is a purple jar for prayers or wishes to Hecate I leave it for her to see. It has a cork and the symbol of the wheel of life on it. I have different little animals too because she loves all her children.
The other symbolic and artistic thing I am presenting is a necklace and amulet I made.
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This is an extra special amulet I made starting from the beginning. It is threaded on silver wire, as witches we often use silver as it reflects the color of our sister moon. The beads are pure obsidian, which is formed when sand is heated by lava or lightening and it cools quickly, and forms one of several types of obsidian like snowflake and rainbow.
I chose black because it cleanses your energy and grounds you. As well it protects you from bad energy either sent to you or that which is present where you are, left over bad energy. It also guards against depression. The charm is actually what you call funary jewelry. It is meant to hold a tiny bit of ashes of a loved one that passed. My Grandma was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and intestine.
This was in late 2009; she refused treatment but had to be hospitalized because she could not walk or anything although she remained lucid. I ordered a dove for my husband a little bottle for me and this one for my Nan, her nick name was kitty cat. So for her I got a kitty on a heart shaped moon looking to the heavens as that is where she would soon be.
I got hair from her, me, my husband and her favorite cousin and my sister and put a little in each amulet. I said to her as we wear these we know we will always be together. And thusly I spelled them to always come together as we agreed we are kindred spirits so we will be together forever. She passed into spirit Feb 28, 2010. I have a silver wish box with her name on it on my altar as you have seen.
All pictures thanks to www.sacredsource.com.
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