Hekate - Hecate - the goddess of the witches Spiritual Meaning

Hekate (or the Latin spelling Hecate) is a Greek goddess of the crossroads. On birth she received her power over fire, necromancy, moon, herbs, earth, and sea. There is rich text on the internet about Hekate and some of this information is misleading to say the least. Let's start with her name. The name Hekate has different meanings and has been associated with the Greek word "hekas" which means "operates from afar"

Hekate helped the god Demeter in their hunt for Persephone, by lightening her torch so he could see the way. She is surrounded by a curtain of secret knowledge, only the chosen will have contact from her. She is one of the most powerful goddesses responsible for miracles, witchcraft and the night.

Hekate is normally worshiped by many witches, often being seen as the leader of witchcraft. Hekate is associated with the magical aspects of life. Powerful beyond words, Hekate can destroy and create. Having a presence in both heaven and hell she  can control not oly life, but the underworld and everything that goes with it.  In Greek methology Hekate was known as the protector of the crossroads. This is the reason she is normally drawn with three faces. People often left offerings at the crossroads for her in exchange for her assistance to travel safety.  

Firstly, when seeking the help of Hekate with your personal problems trust is something that is learned. Trust cannot be of a blind type, working with Hekate is a long term commitment. They items that are often connected to Hekate is the Owl, which provides her wisdom, the two torches to allow her to see her way, and light the way for others. A black dog, which some have said she can turn into. Some have even said that she is visible to only dogs. The key is to the underworld. It needs to be locked away to stop the negative energy from coming into our plane. 

Hekate or Hecate in Latin is the Greek goddess of the Earth, Moon, and the Underworld. She is well known as the three faced goddess. Hekate means “The Far-Darter One” or the one with the ability to shoot or operate from afar, where as it is also the appellation given to Apollo (the Greek god of light and sun) who then makes use of his arrow shaped-like rays in shooting. She is often at times referred to as the archer sister of Artemis.

It is said that Hekate came from the island of Thrake. According to the Greeks it’s the Barbaric Land. Hekate was the only daughter of the Titans Perses (brother of Kirke) and Asteria (“starry” the same alias used by Aphrodite,) where both of them are the gods and goddess of “Light.”  Being the goddess of the Moon (and her counterpart Helios, god of the Sun) served as a witness when Kore, Demeter’s daughter, was seized by force to be taken away; considering that the Moon and the Sun sees everything from the skies.

As a goddess of the Earth, Hekate has the ability to grant wealth and riches to the immortals. Hekate Trioditis (goddess of crossroads) and Trivia (“The Three Ways” in Roman Mythology) protects the crossroads, especially the ones that meets coming from three different directions sighting down each road. Hekate is the protector of travelers, especially those that are lonely or are going to or from lonely places.

She is the goddess of the Underworld, Hekate has been a great companion to Queen Persephone. Her great powers of magic and witchcraft, and association with the hounds, ghosts, and spirits made her known to haunt down tombs and crime scenes. It is believed that earthly dogs are the only ones who have the ability to see her, unlike human beings. In the Greek Lunar Calendar, every last day of the month (during New Moon or at the dark of the Moon), Sacrifices were made to her. It is often said that it is the time where a certain situation is being accompanied by fear and a time for solitude to pave way for vigilance and planning ahead of time.

Appearance

Hekate is said to be tall and large. Perfect high cheek bones, straight and pointed nose, well defined chin, thin lips like as if they’re nonexistent, a lovely butter colored, cat-like eyes, and long white wavy hair made her physique more sharp and angular. The three faced goddess’ gown is long, simple, and shimmering. It doesn’t seem to touch anything on her and gently dances with the wind as it moves along. As it shifts, rainbow colors are running down towards the end, like oil on water. The changing of the color of her gown would normally depend on her mood and pulse. Hekate doesn’t wear any jewelry, but her fingernails are painted with different colors.

Abilities

Almost all animals are sacred to Hekate, and she or he has been occasionally associated with - the dog, snake, and lion, also the wise owl. The goddess has been connected to the dog star of Sirius.

Hekate, invoked as the 'Distant One', had been one's protectress associated with distant places, streets, along with byways. In the evening, specifically on a dim silent night, Hekate might be observed going for walks the particular streets associated with her pet dogs and blazing torches. 

As the law of nature comes in to the picture, magic needs energy, and energy will succumb itself to wherever it can get its sources even the life of the magician who created it. Hecate’s immeasurable powers made her immune with the effects of the magic she generates. 

Summary

• Earthly dogs are the only ones who have the ability to see Hekate, unlike human beings.
• Hecate is immune to the effects of her own magic powers.
• Hecate is always neutral in times of war between the Dark Elders and the immortals.