Hekate Book Quotes

Hekate leads the way with her torches aloft in her capacity as the preceder and follower[252]

In ancient times, women who had ceased their monthly flow were believed to hold their life-giving powers within themselves, like the dark moon. They were thought to be creating something powerful with their retained womb blood—pregnant with wisdom instead of new life. Valued and honored in their communities, these sage women had skills and powers no younger woman could possess. Like Hekate, they were crones, crowned

If thou art Hekate of many names, if in the night thou doest shake thy mystic torch in brandcarrying hand, come nightwanderer…”[xliii

by the names of triple-form Hekate, the tremor-bearing, scourge-bearing, torch-carrying, golden-slippered-blood-sucking-netherworldly and horse riding one. I utter to you the true name that shakes Tartarus, earth, the deeps and heaven…” [262

Hekate was invoked as Soteira on Kos, and there is a strong possibility that she was included as one of the twelve gods[179] on the island. There are numerous inscriptions on the island attesting to her presence there.

White robes, and feet with golden sandals bound. Around the waist long snakes run to and fro, Gliding o'er all with undefiled track, And from the head down even to the feet Wrapping me fairly round with spiral coils.’”[274]

The Minoans produced the figurines we now know simply as the Minoan Snake Goddesses, images which bear a striking similarity to Hekate.

Small cakes called amphiphontes meaning shining on both sides, were offered to the goddess here.

Hesychius wrote that Hekate was worshipped by the title of Propylaia (at the gateway) at the Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens.

Likewise, the Roman Lares, ancestral spirits of the home, were believed to sometimes take on the form of a dog or a man dressed as a dog. The much later St. Christopher, called upon frequently for protection while travelling, would also be depicted as having the head of a dog.

In the Hellenistic period, Hekate was given titles which included megistē (greatest), epiphanestatē thea (most manifest goddess) and saviour (Soteira) in Caria. This according to Johnston suggests that she was the leading goddess of her own city and also that Hekate played the same roles in Caria as Kybele did for Phrygia, taking the part of a city goddess and benefactress[93].

In both these instances the corpses were prepared by replacing its blood with a brew made by the practitioner. As an aside, it is said that the poet Shelley read Lucan’s work to his wife Mary and that this inspired her celebrated work, Frankenstein.

This recurrent connection between Kybele, Hermes and Hekate suggest that there may have been other Mystery cults in which Hermes and Hekate accompanied Kybele on a journey, perhaps one of katabasis, with similarities to that of Persephone at Eleusis.

In the Orphic Gold Tablets, Brimo is used as a name for a goddess forming a trio with Demeter and Persephone[liii]

There is a maiden, nurtured in the halls of Aeetes, whom the goddess Hecate taught to handle magic herbs with exceeding skill all that the land and flowing waters produce.

At Lagina, the goddess Hekate was given the epithet Kleidouchos (key-bearer),

Long before Porphyry, the Sicilian-born Greek philosopher and root-cutter Empedocles spent time at Selinunte, as well as at many of the other temples in Sicily. Empedocles is credited as being responsible for the earliest doctrines of the four elements. He campaigned against animal sacrifices, worked with plants and roots and appears to have strong associations with the cult of Hekate during his life.

While the sleep and euphoria-inducing qualities of this plant have also been known about for a long time, the idea that the poppy is a symbol of fecundity is an ancient one, especially in Anatolian folklore. "It has to be noted that the plant has always been referred to as a symbol of fertility in Anatolian folklore. Needless to say, the countless seeds contained in the poppy pod make it an ideal symbol of birth

North: The frieze from the north portion of the temple depicts the war against the Amazons. It shows a meeting between the Amazon and Greek warriors, with Hekate being the central figure sanctioning a pact. The position of her body in this particular frieze has been interpreted as being indicative that while she brought the sides together and sanctioned the pact, she sided with the legendary female warriors of Anatolia. East: The eastern frieze depicts scenes from the life of Zeus, including a version of his birth in which Hekate takes the role of midwife. She assists the goddess Rhea in swaddling the baby and protecting it from his father Kronos’ paranoid madness. West: The western side shows a version of the war against the Giants. Like that of the famous friezes of Pergamon, it depicts Hekate as fighting on the side of Zeus. South: The south side shows a selection of Carian deities gathering for a feast. This has been interpreted as a gathering for the Hekatesion or another significant festival. Here it is interesting to note that the front of the temple (East) depicted the birth of Zeus and the back his battle and victory over the Titans. These are pivotal points in Greek religious history, Zeus’ birth and his victory in the battle which enables him to ascend to the throne. At both these points, Hekate is present.

None of our sources explain what it was supposed to accomplish, but if it took its name from a key that was carried, then that key must have been of central importance - it must have been used to lock or unlock something significant." [lxxxix]

Strophalos comes from the root to twist and as such, is an appropriate term for all the variations of twisting ritual tools employed and discussed in this section. The Byzantine historian and philosopher Michael Psellus provide a description of the strophalos dating to the eleventh century CE, many centuries after the Chaldean Oracles. Psellus provides information on different designs of the iynges, describing spherical and triangular objects, covered in symbols which were spun. “The strophalos of Hekate is a golden sphere with lapis lazuli enclosed in its centre, which is spun by means of a leather thong, and which is covered with symbols: as it was spun they [the Theurgists] made their invocations. These spheres were generally called iynges and could be either spherical or triangular or of some other form. And while they were making their invocations they emitted inarticulate or animal cries, laughing and whipping the air. So the Oracle teaches that it is the motion of the strophalos which works the ritual, on account of its ineffable power. It is called ‘of Hekate’ and consecrated to Hekate.

The Temple of Hekate at Lagina, Caria, Anatolia was the last major temple built during the Hellenistic period. The temple was constructed on the site of an older settlement, which may have included an earlier temple. Lagina is the largest known temple which was dedicated entirely to Hekate and is famous for being the site of a key-bearing procession. In this procession, a key was carried by a young girl along the Sacred Way, an 11km road which connected the temple at Lagina to the nearby city of Stratonicea. Unfortunately, we don’t have reliable information on the purpose of the ceremony. Johnston writes that: "None of our sources explain what it was supposed to accomplish, but if it took its name from a key that was carried, then that key must have been of central importance - it must have been used to lock or unlock something significant." [89] Johnston further explains that although we don’t know what the key opened, the number of inscriptions naming the festival indicates that it was a significant festival. We can speculate that it was the key to the city, the key to the temple at Lagina, or the key to another (unknown) precinct. Considering Hekate’s ability to traverse between the worlds of the living and the dead, it is conceivable that the key opened the way to some form of ritual katabasis. At Lagina, the goddess Hekate was given the epithet Kleidouchos (key-bearer), so it is also possible that the young girl who carried the keys in the procession represented the goddess in the ceremony.

Hekate in Byzantium (also Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey) It is probable that Hekate had an established presence in Byzantium from a time before the city was founded. Here Hekate was invoked by her title of Phosphoros by the local population for her help when Philip of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) attacked the city in 340 BCE. Petridou summarises the account given by Hsych of Miletus: "Hecate, or so we are told, assisted them by sending clouds of fire in a moonless rainy night; thus, she made it possible for them to see clearly and fight back against their enemies. By some sort of divine instigation the dogs began barking[164], thus awakening the Byzantians and putting them on a war footing."[165] There is a slightly alternative account of the attack, recorded by Eustathios. He wrote that Philip of Macedon's men had dug secret tunnels from where they were preparing a stealth attack. However, their plans were ruined when the goddess, as Phosphoros, created mysterious torchlight which illuminated the enemies. Philip and his men fled, and the locals subsequently called the place where this happened Phosphorion. Both versions attribute the successful defence of the city to the goddess as Phosphoros. In thanksgiving, a statue of Hekate, holding two torches, was erected in Byzantium soon after. The support given by the goddess in battle brings to mind a line from Hesiod’s Theogony: “And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will.” [166] A torch race was held on the Bosphorus each year, in honour of a goddess which, in light of the above story, is likely to have been Phosphoros. Unfortunately, we have no evidence to clarify who the goddess the race was dedicated to was. Other than Phosphoros, it is possible that the race was instead held in honour of the Thracian Bendis, Ephesian Artemis or Hekate. All of which were also of course conflated with one another at times. Artemis and Hekate both share the title of Phosphoros. Bendis is never explicitly named in texts, but a torch race in her honour was held in Athens after her cult was introduced there in the fifth-century BCE. Likewise, torch-races took place in honour of Artemis. There is also a theory that the name Phosphoros may have become linguistically jumbled due to a linguistic influence from Thrace becoming Bosphorus in the process[167]. The Bosphorus is the narrow, natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, separating the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side. The goddess with two torches shown on coins of the time is unnamed. She is usually identified as Artemis but could equally represent Hekate.

The Mysteries at Aegina were popular and continued to be sought out by citizens during the late Roman Era. In one example, Paulina, the wife of Praetextatus, wrote of her husband after his death that he was a pious initiate who internalised that which he found at the sacred rites, who learned many things and adored the Divine. Paulina’s husband had introduced her to ‘all the mysteries’ and in doing so ‘exempted her from death’s destiny’. Named specifically are the Mysteries of Eleusis, Kybele, Mithras and that of Hekate at Aegina, where Paulina was a Hierophant. “… her husband taught to her, the servant of Hecate, her “triple secrets” – whatever these secrets were, the Mysteries provided less “extraordinary experience” than soteriological hope and theological and philosophical knowledge.”[176] It is possible to assume that the beliefs and customs at Aegina had something in common with those at other temples associated with the annual Mysteries said to be established by Orpheus, like those of Eleusis. The Mysteries of Aegina were renowned, as this early Christian writer indicates, and it is possible to conclude that they had an element of oathbound secrecy as we know so little about them today. “For the mysteries of Mithras do not appear to be more famous among the Greeks than those of Eleusis, or than those in Aegina, where individuals are initiated in the rites of Hecate.”[177]

In the Theogony, Perses is the son of Eurybia (Wild Force) and Crius (Ram/Ruler), husband to the star goddess Asteria and father to Hekate. His name is usually taken to mean destroyer, and sometimes as from Persia.

In Scottish lore, Hekate was often equated with the Faery Queen of the Unseelie court, Nicneven, who dwelt in the mountain Ben Nevis…

Isis had acquired the horns during her own conflation with the cow-headed Hathor, and Hekate was often described as being bull or cow-headed. The uraeus-serpent also appears on coins showing Isis-Hekate, again highlighting the serpent symbol shared by both goddesses.

Hekate on Kos name her as Hekate Stratia. This may be taken as a reference to a military group (army), or in its later Christian use to refer to a troop (host) of angels or possibly to a body of stars.

There is evidence that eunuchs also served at the temple in some capacity. It is not clear what role they held at Lagina, but the evidence shows that they were not present at this temple in the capacity of Hekate’s priesthood

Archaeological evidence from Lagina reveals that the god Serapis also had a presence at this temple

Hekate’s own relationship with snakes are mirrored in depictions of other deities. For example, the Canaanite wisdom and mother goddess Asherah was known as the Lady of the Serpent (dāt batni). Images of the Egyptian goddess Qudshu (or Qadesh), who was associated with Asherah, frequently depict her as holding serpents. Qudshu is also linked to lions, serpents, lotuses and spears.

The wolf is sacred to both of Leto’s children. The temple of Apollo at Delphi had a statue of a wolf. Here at his most celebrated temple, there were stories of the god sending his wolf to hunt a thief who successfully stole gold from his temple. Apollo could also manifest in wolf shape, and was known as the Wolf God.

But the Romans sacrifice a dog in the cleansing month, on the festival which they call Lupercalia. Hence it was not without cause, to prohibit them whose charge it was to worship the highest and holiest God

Here figurines showing an enthroned voluptuous woman flanked by lions were found which strongly resemble that of later depictions of Kybele. Çatalhöyük is believed to have been occupied from at least 8000 BCE, suggesting that the Phrygian Mother’s cult may have existed in the region for many thousands of years.

The depiction and the idea of the Thracian Mother Goddess as Hekate, i.e. as the one who gives birth to the divine son, shouldn’t seem strange to us because of the images found in the territory of Bulgaria of Hekate with a little child in her hands, again accompanied by her sacred dogs-wolves, which are a second naming of the divine son in his winter hypostasis, at the time of his birth.”[

Magic is a major aspect linking Isis to Hekate. There is a bronze statue in Rome that depicts Hekate wearing the lunar crown of Isis, topped by lotus blossoms, and carrying a lighted torch in each hand. The statue is dedicated to Hekate and Serapis from someone who was saved by them from an unnamed danger. Both Isis and Artemis are shown carrying a torch as is Torch-bearing Hekate who illuminates the secrets of the underworld.

The two goddesses are also both depicted as Mother Goddesses, holding a child. Isis is shown holding her son Horus (or Harpocrates), in both seated and standing positions. Hekate is likewise shown holding a child, likely the baby Dionysos (Sabazius), though it is possible that it might also represent Apollo

Outside of Egypt Osiris became Serapis, the companion of Isis. Their child Horus, became the god Harpocrates, associated with secrets.

Thetis is sometimes equated to Metis, who is described as the first of the wives of Zeus.

earlier sources make no mention of Hekate’s association with the Moon. Her later relationship with the Moon is primarily because of syncretisation with Moon goddesses, such as Selene. Artemis also was associated with lunar symbols until much later, and indeed shares many solar qualities in common with her brother Apollo. Artemis’ bow was described as golden, as were her arrows, and she rode through the sky in a golden chariot. Likewise, Artemis is associated with solar animals, such as the lion. As Apollo’s association with the sun expanded in the late Hellenistic period, so Artemis became increasingly associated with the Moon – in so doing the twins, in part, replaced the older Helios (Sun) and Selene (Moon).

Hekate-Selene was the most prominent goddess in the PGM, balancing the solar Apollo-Helios as the most prominent god.

Blue gemstones are specifically associated with the Heavenly Aphrodite, and similar descriptions of stones suspended in gold can be found in association with the Love Goddess.

Hekate’s temple in Cyrene stood inside the precinct of the temple of Apollo.

Didyma was home to a renowned oracle of Apollo, which was almost as famous as that of Delphi. Evidence from the site shows that there was also a connection to Zeus, Kybele and Artemis here, with a temple dedicated to the latter in her association with water.

The chanting and singing of paeans are often associated with Dionysos and Apollo, but also formed an important part of celebrations to Hekate.

Priests serving in Apollo’s temple at Delphi were called the Servants of the Labrys.

…Lady Hekate of the heavens, Hekate of the underworld, Hekate of the crossroads, Hekate of the triple-face, Hekate of the single-face, cut the hearts of the thief or the thieves who took the items contained in this deposition. And let the earth not be walkable, the sea not sailable; let there be no enjoyment of life, no increase of children, but may utter destruction visit them or him.

Alongside that of Hekate he also built altars to Priapus, the Dioscuri and the Samothracian gods on Thera, inscribing them with his verses. There were three dedications carved into the rock to the left of the complex: an eagle for Zeus of Olympus, a lion for Apollo the Crown Wearer and a dolphin for Poseidon of the Sea.

Dionysos at Samothrace where the chthonic mysteries of Hekate-Brimo and her consort Dionysos/Sabazios were celebrated and the sanctuary was thereafter taken into Macedonia’s protection

Already the bird of morning was cutting the air with loud cries [in Samothrace]; already the helmeted bands of desert-haunting Korybantes were beating on their shields in the Knossian dance, and leaping with rhythmic steps, and the oxhides thudded under the blows of the iron as they whirled them about in rivalry, while the double pipe made music, and quickened the dancers with its rollicking tune in time to the bounding steps. Aye, and the trees whispered, the rocks boomed, the forests held jubilee with their intelligent movings and shakings, and the Dryades did sing. Packs of bears joined the dance, skipping and wheeling face to face; lions with a roar from emulous throats mimicked the triumphant cry of the priests of the Kabeiroi, sane in their madness; the revelling pipes rang out a tune in honour of Hekate, divine friend of dogs, those single pipes, which the horn-polisher's art invented in Kronos's days.

I, the goddess Hecate, lie here, as you see. Earlier I was mortal, now, as a goddess, I am immortal and young forever.

In Byzantium, the symbol of the upwards-pointing crescent moon and eight-rayed star (representing the sun) above it, was a symbol of Hekate, and sometimes Hekate-Artemis. The symbol may have indicated this goddess’ connection with both the moon and the sun or a symbolic reference to Apollo

The crescent and eight-rayed star were also sometimes used for other deities with a link to Persia and Anatolia. The crescent, with an eight-rayed star, was frequently used to depict the Babylonian goddess Ishtar and the moon god Sin.

Considering Hekate’s association with Apollo’s sister Artemis, her worship alongside Apollo at numerous locations, and her relationship with oracles, it should not be surprising to find her at Delphi – indeed it should be expected. Hekate featured prominently at another celebrated Oracle of Apollo at Didyma, for example.

The songs call (him) throughout fragrant Delos and around the high rocks of Parnassus the virgins of Delphi with bright headbands often set up a swift-footed chorus and sweetly sing with bronze voice.

These include dozens of eight-petaled designs on gold, a male version of Potnia Theron and much more. A system of weights and measures was developed on Aegina, which subsequently became used throughout the Greek world. There is evidence that Hekate had a temple there, but the largest temple on the island was dedicated to Apollo.

Hekate is named on an altar dedicated to the Sun. A curious inscription dated to between 300-100 BCE from the island of Kos, made by the Priests of Apollo at Halasarna, names the goddess as Hekate Stratia (war)[180]. It is likely that Hekate was worshipped alongside Apollo at this sanctuary: “The new finds show that Apollon was worshipped in this sanctuary along with Hekate Stratia…

At Argos, Eileithyia is sometimes also equated to Hera or Artemis. Eileithyia with a quiver of arrows is depicted on the coins of Argos, which lends support to the idea that she may be Artemis here.

The Bosporan Kingdom occupied an area which is now in Southern Russia. Their religion was probably a blend of indigenous Iranian and Greek ideas, with some Thracian influences and strongly focussed on the stellar aspects of the goddess Aphrodite.

The first side shows a lion-headed figure crowned with eight rays, facing right and holding a branch and wreath in his hands. This is almost certainly a depiction of the god Aion, god of unbounded time with a close association with the Mystery traditions. The inscription on this side of the gem combines elements of Judeo-Christian belief: “Michael, the highest, Gabriel, the strongest”[195] The obverse shows a representation of the jackal-headed Egyptian god Anubis, holding a flail and possibly another wreath. He faces a three-formed Hekate, carrying whips, torches and daggers. Hekate and Anubis are being petitioned alongside Aion and the archangels Michael and Gabriel, providing an example of how the boundaries between religious traditions became blurred from a magical

The Oracles also emphasised that Hekate was the ruler of angels, a frequently overlooked role held by this goddess. The text described the three orders of angels (‘Angelos’ meaning messenger) who serve her and aids her followers.

IAO, Adonai, Sabaoth Hekate is also repeatedly implored for her assistance on amulets and defixiones in the fourth- and fifth-centuries. There are conspicuous examples of Hekate being called upon alongside, or even in some instances being conflated with the Gnostic IAO, a contraction of IHVH, the name of the Judaic God. In one example Hekate, by her name of Brimo, was merged with IAO, making Brimiao.

If the patient is attended by fears, terrors, and madnesses in the night, jumps up out of his bed and flees outside, they call these the attacks of Hecate or the onslaughts of ghosts.

It is interesting that the rise of the cult of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, started in what is now Syria. Mary was worshipped here as the Mother of God, arguably replacing (continuing?) what remained of the earlier Mother Goddess cult.

I invoke you by the unconquerable god, Iao Barbathiao Brimiao Chermari.

I am the movement that dwells in the All, she in whom the All takes its stand, the first-born among those who came to be, she who exists before the All. She is called by three names, although she dwells alone, since she is perfect.

Hecate in the following form: "My image purify, as I shall show: Of wild rue form the frame, and deck it o'er with lizards such as run about the house; These mix with resin, myrrh, and frankincense, Pound all together in the open air under the crescent moon, and add this vow." 'Then she set forth the vow, and showed how many lizards must be taken: "Take lizards many as my many forms, and do all this with care. My spacious house with branches of self-planted laurel form. Then to my image offer many a prayer, And in thy sleep thou shalt behold me nigh.

Theriocephalic images believed to date to as early as 30 000 BCE have been found, with the earliest being the lion-headed Löwenmensch (lion-person) figurine found in Germany. This icon shows a human body with the head of a European cave lion. The Egyptian pantheon had several animal-headed deities, including the lion-headed Sekhmet who resembles the Löwenmensch figurine as being a female with the head of a lion.

The adoration of an empty throne has ancient roots and can be found in the Upanishads. In Mycenaean Greece, the throne discovered in the so-called Throne Room in Knossos is, according to the archaeologists, an object of worship and not a seat designed to be used. The bas-relief in the Medici Villa in Rome, which represents the empty throne from the front and surmounted by a crown surrounded by towers, appear to testify to a cult of the throne in the rites of the Magna Mater."[241] As an aside, it is interesting to note here that the goddess Isis is depicted with a throne headdress.

Hekate in the Chaldean hierarchy (circa 200 CE) as the father and mother.

Depictions of Aphrodite in the same region shows her with the same decorated pillar-like torso. This suggests that all three goddesses, i.e. the Ephesian Artemis, the Carian Aphrodite and Hekate, were influenced by an earlier and probably local cult.

Hekate’s torches are equated to the light of the Moon (and the stars) in an undated scholion, which juxtaposes Hekate as being the light in the dark, with Apollo being the light in the day in his role as God of the Sun. It is also possible to equate Hekate’s torches to the morning and evening stars (Venus), the light of this planet is the first and last in the morning and evening skies.