Hekate was called Trioditis (Trivia in Latin) because she guarded the three-fold Gate of the Underworld, and her power was invoked by the Hekataea, the pillars of Hekate, raised at crossroads and in doorways. She ruled over Witchcraft, divination, dreams and visions. Aconite (wolfsbane) and the willow and yew trees were connected to her, she presided over birth and death, and she could see all that occurred everywhere. She gave the Sybil knowledge of the Underworld and the power to control the entrance of the living to that realm. Owls were sacred to Hekate as representing night spirits who could guide one to the Underworld, and she was attended by three Strega who performed this task. Serpents were sacred to Hekate as symbols of hidden knowledge of the dead, who were thought to appear to the living in the form of serpents. The priestesses of Hekate sometimes wore the Mask of Hekate, a mask with serpents sprouting from it, in their ceremonies.
Hekate was believed to roam the earth on moonless nights (nights of the ebony moon), accompanied on her journeys by a pack of black, red-eyed hounds and a retinue of dead spirits. It was said that only dogs could see her, and that the howling of dogs signalled her approach. Hekate was often represented with either three bodies or three heads, and she was identified with the three-headed dog Cerberus who guarded the Gate to the Underworld.
Although in Greece and Asia Minor Hekate was always a young goddess, the Romans later made her a Crone and said she lived always in the Underworld. The Romans also made Hekate part of the triple moon goddess, a role that she never played in earlier times in Greece. Over the twelve centuries of her known worship, Hekate was transformed from a Nymph Goddess who ruled transformations and was worshiped by public festivals into a furtive goddess of the Underworld and Death, who ruled malevolent magick as an aspect of the moon. This concept of Hekate was mostly manufactured by Roman writers, and bore little resemblance to Hekate's true nature.
Hekate was early represented as an eternally young goddess of beauty and power, and her most common epithet of 'Phosphoros,' the light bringer, was symbolized by Hekate carrying a pair of torches to illumine the hidden Mysteries. She was crowned with a headdress of stars, symbolizing her stellar origins. Her epithet 'Propylaia' means 'she who stands before the Gate' (of the Temple or the entrance to the Underworld). She was said to guard the mountain (Mt. Helicon) where the Muses lived. Hekate's early attributions made her a guide of souls to the Underworld, either the souls of the dead or the living who sought initiation into the Mysteries. She guided the initiates in the Mysteries of Eleusis as Hekate Propolos (Hekate 'who leads the way'). Hekate's power of spiritual transformation was illustrated in the story of her turning herself into a boar (pig), killing her son and then restoring him to life. Since Hekate held the key to the entrance to the Underworld, a key was one of her symbols often worn by her priestesses. The nature of the key was one of her Mysteries, and it was closely connected to the Wheel of Hekate, a symbol which when rotated and concentrated upon could alter one's consciousness.
"The earth began to bellow, trees to dance and howling dogs in glimmering light advance ere Hekate came."
~ The Aeneid
Hekate was believed to roam the earth on moonless nights (nights of the ebony moon), accompanied on her journeys by a pack of black, red-eyed hounds and a retinue of dead spirits. It was said that only dogs could see her, and that the howling of dogs signalled her approach. Hekate was often represented with either three bodies or three heads, and she was identified with the three-headed dog Cerberus who guarded the Gate to the Underworld.
Although in Greece and Asia Minor Hekate was always a young goddess, the Romans later made her a Crone and said she lived always in the Underworld. The Romans also made Hekate part of the triple moon goddess, a role that she never played in earlier times in Greece. Over the twelve centuries of her known worship, Hekate was transformed from a Nymph Goddess who ruled transformations and was worshiped by public festivals into a furtive goddess of the Underworld and Death, who ruled malevolent magick as an aspect of the moon. This concept of Hekate was mostly manufactured by Roman writers, and bore little resemblance to Hekate's true nature.
Hekate was early represented as an eternally young goddess of beauty and power, and her most common epithet of 'Phosphoros,' the light bringer, was symbolized by Hekate carrying a pair of torches to illumine the hidden Mysteries. She was crowned with a headdress of stars, symbolizing her stellar origins. Her epithet 'Propylaia' means 'she who stands before the Gate' (of the Temple or the entrance to the Underworld). She was said to guard the mountain (Mt. Helicon) where the Muses lived. Hekate's early attributions made her a guide of souls to the Underworld, either the souls of the dead or the living who sought initiation into the Mysteries. She guided the initiates in the Mysteries of Eleusis as Hekate Propolos (Hekate 'who leads the way'). Hekate's power of spiritual transformation was illustrated in the story of her turning herself into a boar (pig), killing her son and then restoring him to life. Since Hekate held the key to the entrance to the Underworld, a key was one of her symbols often worn by her priestesses. The nature of the key was one of her Mysteries, and it was closely connected to the Wheel of Hekate, a symbol which when rotated and concentrated upon could alter one's consciousness.
"The earth began to bellow, trees to dance and howling dogs in glimmering light advance ere Hekate came."
~ The Aeneid
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Thu, February 14, 2008 - 10:17 PMHey my beautiful sister Adya!!!!!
Since I've been a dedicated priestess of Hekate's....uuuhhhmmm about 6 years now, She always comes to me as crows, or the neighborhood dogs begin to howl. It was a real hoot the day I stood in front of the courthouse with my lawyer, and the dogs began to howl, my lawyer just looked at me as said "what the f%#k???". My little secret chuckle that told me She was by my side.
In Her honor....Einanna -
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Fri, February 15, 2008 - 1:46 PMHekate was chillingly on target, dear Einanna... I have no doubt, She protects Her own!
Hekate was the first Goddess that I ever encountered ...a Priest I once worked with noticed Her move through me, to his surprise, for he didn't know and I didn't speak of it... She is the one who made me a Goddess devotee...and I promised to always be in Her service, no matter what, come what may.
the frog is an ancient and magickal amphibian that is intimately connected to Hekate... when I lived in the tropics, they were constantly by my side...while now I'm thousands of miles from there, up in the mountains, and I hear Her often speak through the wild dogs, the ones who have never been domesticated and roam free...
there are many other animals that do Her bidding, and other symbols connected to Hekate
anyone have any others that they'd like to add?
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Fri, February 22, 2008 - 12:14 PMHi Adya. First i have to thank you because the information made me know some things i diddent know before. It also inspiered an older idea of mine. Namely to create a mask. I diddent know that her priestesses wore masks. Do you know any more information on this?
Mt Helicon sounds interesting. Perhaps a subject to develop attention too in order to lern new things.
I have never heard the story of Hekate turning herself into a boar and then killing her son. Is there any place to read the whole myth?
To me it sounds soewhat similar to the welsh story about Ceridwen.
www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/...Ceridwen
Anyways.. i can think of many animals.. there are the traditional ones but many more. The traditional ones popping up aught to be, the dog, the owl, horse, snake and the hare.
However here is some more. Both things i observed that is comming back in the community,some personal ones aswell as hunches.
Firstly.. i think most nocturnal animals should be on the list. Here is a new list.
Spider. Raven. Frogs. Bat. Scorpion. Deep sea fishes. Bear. Cat ( black ones) Wolf. Opossum. Whale. Butterfly. Dragonfly. Firefly. Aligator. Mole.
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Fri, February 22, 2008 - 3:00 PMHey Henrik,
>>" I diddent know that her priestesses wore masks. Do you know any more information on this?"
that is a great question for the Lagina dig team... wonder if they actually found any masks intact?
Mask making is so infused with the ritual arts, but I'm afraid that i don't have much proof to back up the claim. When we look to the Etruscans, we find many links, and there appears to be connections to Hekate there, particularly with Medusa, who was also originally a Virgin Goddess, represented with three heads... Medusa/Gorgon masks were quite popular in their culture:
www.sacred-texts.com/evil/tee/tee07.htm
I suppose it depends which era of Hekate we're referring to, for She belongs to Asia Minor or the Anatolians foremost, the height of Her fecundity belonging in the ancient past. She being a Virgin Goddess that was One unto Herself, without need for consort, immortal, without beginning or end, eternally young, having tremendous power over all life and creation, traveling freely between all the worlds, having complete reign over Underworld, Earth, and the Heavens.
She was absorbed into various other cultures which changed Her completely, the Olympians and Romans paint Her as a former shadow of Her true Self, which are spread around the internet and in books as truth nowadays, though Her Priestesses know better. These re-tellings of myths of Her ancient temple rituals diminished Her to a titan, an old hag, queen of sorcery, and goddess of witchcraft and all things evil and unsavory, belonging to the realm of Hades, who is a fictitious character. All of which do Her a great dis-service and attempt to demote Her to a much lower form in the hierarchy of deities. The phrase "titan" is actually considered extremely demeaning.
Blessings,
adya
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Sat, February 23, 2008 - 8:48 PMHeh heh heh Adya.....let them all believe what they want about Hekate....not many can edure the title "priest or priestess" in Her service. She f#@ks with our sanity, and unless we have a strong will, powerful in ourselves, She will break us, like little dolls....or scare the bejeezus out of us with those pesky spirits.
Let em all think She's a scarey, crazy hag....it keeps the ametuers away :::::cackles:::::. -
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Sun, February 24, 2008 - 2:41 PMhehehe :-)
well, I think that the point is to break us, the little self has to go, it only serves illusion and obscures truth... and all the power we may think we have belongs to Her anyhow... Empty before filling, I always say - our little bodies can't hold that sort of power with our egos intact, and going crazy or frying of the nerves is common place when we haven't considered our human-esque physical limitations... I find it sad that some practitioners just don't take precautions before embarking ...Hekate does have the retinue of spirits, ghosts, ghouls and whatnot that travel with.. where I come from we call them fetches, they of course have a purpose, but I've run into a few practitioners that like to play around with them, not really understanding the ramifications ... not usually a good idea :-)
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Sun, February 24, 2008 - 9:59 PMEheheheheheheheheh I'll never forget....one time....this "young" pagan decided to summon Hekate, just to see what I'm made of. Sad to say, it was an act of jealousy that drove her to do it.
Anyhoo....long story short....I ended up sharing a way of banishing the entity running rampant (turning the lights on and off, slamming doors) in the nit wit's apartment...she was terrifed. A foolish lesson learned indeed.
Yep, yep....minus the egos....purified and purged ::::wink::::. -
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 1:25 PMPrecautions? I basically live in my altar. It,s all Hekate stuff ( has turned a bit cultish lately LOL ) I do believe that most problems can appear when mixing deitys too much. Or when doing rituals without purification i n connection to this.Or when people do things with the WRONG intention. Thus getting a lesson taught. It,s a sort of bite ones own ass mentality.
See, i still live at home ( in a small room + bed) so i dont have a separate room. I keep most of my stuff on a converted bookshelf/ shrine/ spirit altar. I also sleep in there. Anyways.. things do happen on and off i have to admit. Tought it has taught me a great deal. I like it that way. Still sane ( I hope) The spirits are on my side and to a use, but i still need to learn how to make them remain for longer periods of time. Sometimes `` alien´´ spirits appear from outside or in my basement.These has caused me trouble sometimes, but never anything that i summoned trought the sphere of Hekate. ( eccept for the erinyes) The spirits has been of greatest help. Anyways. i guess it all depends on what intentions one have. Do it for fun or for a thrill or brag and a lesson is to be taught. As the pagan friend mentioned – she was taught to be more humble. I believe that i later will provide a role helping people with magickal defences of all sorts. Or rather – people that got into trouble. Thus getting them. Out of the trouble they are in. I will also focus a lot on the subject – speaking with the dead. I have done this in dreams several times, but an direct interaction would be the best. To plow deeper into my intentions – Daniel Ogdens book, greek and roman necromancy is the best overwiev. Or perhaps – the concept of mediumism or séances. I here will rely on Hekate as the door opener but also as a defender holding out the bad spirits first hands. We can also fight ourself ( in to many ways to mention) Hermes is good too but it feels like he just open things on random, and sometimes as pranks. Tought always with a sence of humor. Anyways.. i will intend to try and summon the spirits of dead priestesses and priests. I know some of them is still around because i have had an interaction with one of them. ( from Tainaron) I would also try my hand on Tiresias. What better way to learn things?
I think Hekate has many faces, shapes and skills but her nature is nice and very helpful all the way. I have never seen the so called ``hag´´ But i will leave it open since she change appearences. Most of my work has been about CREATION. Beeing a scorpio moon i got most of of the ``dark mystery´´ side of life for free. I also tend to believe that one part of the darkness in the cult/ religion has to do with intro spection. That is what black is too me. However Hekate is – creation - that is the source of all magick. The key that unlocks mysterys and who put things in the light. Both outside and inside. I do admit doing many wrong steps along the way this far, but somehow some sort of devine hand has helped me out to do it right. Im always a victim to my emotions. When i do things wrong i have learned that i dont listen to the inner whoice – but to emotions or mind babble. Or pure rage. Rage is the worst.. My ego has been hurt so many times i cant count them all. But fighting with the inner `` demons´´ especially exposing them also helps to become a greater person and mastering them better. Knowing things mechanics is mastering things.
But hmm… ok i really came here to talk about the snake mask. See.. I don’t think there would be much preserved after such a long time period. If someone was buried with a mask, or if the mask is made out of bronze or any other metal it would remain i guess. I dunno. But i figure that the church would be the main source of having witch things disappear. See, I have become sort of obsessesed with the mask thing.. I cant leave it. All magickal cultures has employed some sort of mask. It,s such a source of power so i can see why. I don’t think that the Hekate cult was any ecception. What the mask would depict would probably be something in connection with the goddess or mythology around this. I also assume that the greek theatre would have employed somewhat similar items so perhaps looking there would be a future clue.
I have an idea – that is, i got a sort of glimpse rather ( cant say it,s valid tought) In connection with the eleusian mysterys. The masks used would go in this fashion. There is offcourse more To it, but this is similar to what i mind saw/ tought.. whatever.. Will try to fashion my own item in a similar way. Why? Because I feel it,s very powerfull. It sort of personifies power. It,s a great instrument. Looking out of it creates i tend to believe, a sort of inter connected persona. The right type of mood in 2 sec.
www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/sthenno.html
Also.. masks disconnecting the person ( plain black) or representing animals or spirits would be plausible. Perhaps something crested by the moon? Im sure sceptres was used atleast. Aswell as serpents. What the outcome with the mask will be, will be interesting, and im welcoming any ideas. -
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 1:41 PMp.s. in an antropologian point of wiev - we are talking about an religion, dated back to the bornze age 3000 b.c. ( that means it,s far older since there must have been a belief before a cult) into aprox 400 a.d. Beyond that too but never in it,s old form. The more i read into the subject ( i got most of the books from Hekate liminal magick) the more confusing things get. Every place has their own sort of wiev. BUT it,s also note worthy that witchcraft is many things and many symbols. Even the concept of `` witchcraft´´ can be questioned. It is very personal. Even what was wieved as such. Or what was `` magickal´´ to nature. Tought some things still are. By explaining things we thing they get non magickal.
Child birth for example would be an event seen as magickal - we can explain it nowdays. Tought it,s still magical since it,s life created.
I simply stick to following my whoice. Or else i will go mad.. literature madness. It,s good for inspiration tought.
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 6:43 PMSure there are always precautions with ritual/puja and magik, just like one wouldn't play with fire unless they knew what they were doing or had a fire proof suit or protection...I've seen people totally encased within flames and not get burnt.....how'd they do it? It's not a parlor trick, we all can learn to do it by expanding and transforming those so-called physical limitations...but sometimes things aren't so clear at first, we may be given 'keys" and never know exactly where those keys fit for years, and those things can't be explained, the journey is for us alone to discover and there is much for us to learn along the way... I can't tell you how your journey will play out and you can't tell me mine..
Hopefully we shift with time, we get seasoned, we learn from our mistakes, but we all have to start somewhere...some people are just more attuned for this sort of work, maybe it is a past life kind of thing, maybe it's in the blood, whatever it is, I've seen young children that could blow seasoned elders out of the water ... many children are extremely gifted, potent human beings. We're all really neophytes anyhow...we're born into this world blind, into ignorance, so say the rishis and sages, we know so little ... we've got dust in our eyes and bullshit in our brains ... we need the grace of the Goddess.. If She is the One who veiled us from Reality, then She will have to remove the veil so we can see again with eyes anew.
"Everything She touches changes, and She changes everything She touches"... no doubt, I no longer have a title that I refer to myself as and the way I view myself and the world is no longer what it was even a few years ago... lots of change, leaving communities that limited growth and were constricting and moving into other spaces where I could blossom without fear... finding my Guru, or opening myself up enough so the Guru found me in the exact moment I needed them ... seeing my brothers and sisters as myself, knowing that there is no me fighting another, if I am fighting, there is only me fighting myself... like you said, we fight ourselves, and that is all there is ... knowing that I can't find peace, when I'm not peaceful within.
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Re: Hekate's sacred symbols & animals
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 8:57 AMWell said! It rings so true. All you wrote. I especially find the key aspect very interesting. It leaves so many dimensions to it. It,s like a multi tool. I know things in my life that has been collected years back in time.. and then suddently comming into use now. Im new to the Hekate goddess belief. Been around since 2004 or 2005 ( i cant remember the exact year eccept for my self initiation) so im basically a newbie. But at the same time i dont think one never was new but just getting to understand things better. It seems like what everyone has in common is that we are highly individualistic, and that we have an tendency to find pattern in things. That moving trought the world is some sort of alchemistic process where we gain tools, tests, things e.t.c trought life. Even the really stupid things i have done has still had a purpouse. However.. i really do miss any form of `` organised´´ sort of worship, coven, cult.. I do apriciate the friends i have met trought here and in other places, but it,s just like beeing `` temple less´´ or rather - our temple is everywhere. But then, i cant join up in something without trying to change it somehow! And most things has a set of rules. Wish i knew what we were doing really. I never have a clue really because i move around on hunches x-D Not sure if i am a shaman, witch, sorcerer or mystic. I usually try to get away with `` liminal magician´´ these days. See, everytime i try to explain something out in ordinary life things turn confusing in less then 5 secounds. Tribe is a goldmine indeed. I certainly dosent intend to be mystic, because i deffinately dont like secret clubs. It all reminds me of those stupid school clubs that i never was invited too.
Another tool ( i have to mention it) aught to be the weird connection thing, a.k.a synchronisity. Like, a few days ago. I was sitting by the tv,
reading the book magika hiera, the chapter - cursed may he be who moves my bones. I read about shakespeare, and that his tomb had a similar type of inscription ( dunno why the author brought it up) Then i look at the tv, and there is this travel program on there, visiting his tomb.. and reading the text from the grave. It,s sort of insane LOL Why it happened i dont know, seems pointless, still im sure it will come to use in some weird way much later.
About children, it,s like the older we get the dumber we get. See i think children comes with all sort of gifts, but lacks the adult mind to put it into a logical context and to make use of it. It,s simply natural. Im trying to teach my niece things. She was curious about what i do, and i have a philosophy that if people aproach me then i always help out. But i had a bit of trouble explaining just what i do - and kid,s tend to reply with - why to anything. And.. well i dont know the why,s things just are.. but then i got sort of confused for i really know jack shit. I just think i know things all the time x-D She made me very humble for a while. Anyways, she still wanted to learn what i do, even tought i just had made an ass out of myself by appearing like a complete moron. So we decided to play games. Finding hidden things with dowsing, picked out cards from a playcard deck.. e.t.c It all sort of escalated and now she can do all sort of weird stuff. Anyways.. everytime she is here on a visit i try to teatch her something new. But she wanted to demonstrate something. Thus, she picked all the 4 aces out from my deck of playing cards by feeling for them!! Cant say i could beat that. Or well.. i did pick 3 out of them when i was stoned ones but that,s about it. I told her, when you get older you will stop believing in all these things, but believe me it,s really real. You will come into a period when you will question everything but always trust your feeling.
I have to say that i agree with the concept of change. Tought it has also been one hell of a self stabbing period. Im still not done by far.
Im pridefull, hot tempered, arogant, too serious, think im better, part time bully, show of, mean to stupids ( i had to aquire this skill since i was too nice to them first) and the list goes on.. People say i have something very dark around me. It dosent work well for dating x-D haha Tought i know they are wrong so i might add that im also very angry at alot of people for always beeing wrong. Interesting journey i have to say, tought sort of lonely. So sorry for appearing like mr know everything. I really dont. Just like the confirmation.
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